People in the plastic packaging industry also believe that with the steady growth in the output of packaging materials and packaging products, the current development of plastic packaging products in the world presents four major trends: the new type of polyester packaging is playing a leading role; new types of degradable plastics have attracted attention; vigorous development of metallocene plastics Foam plastic to zero pollution. However, no matter how the new materials, new processes, new technologies, and new products are changed, we can find a point from these four major trends. That is the trend of the development of plastic green flexible packaging. This will also have a huge impact on the development of pharmaceutical packaging.
The adjustment of the world economy continues to deepen, and the transformation of the sustainable development strategy provides a great background for the environmental change of the plastic flexible packaging industry. The environmental protection involved in the sustainable development strategy has prompted consumers to put forward higher requirements for the packaging of goods. Green packaging is a requirement for the development of international environmental protection. It also represents the development trend of packaging industry in various countries, and is one of the important contents of improving product market competitiveness and avoiding new trade barriers. Corresponding to this, the greening of plastic flexible packaging has also become an important development trend.
In recent years, China's plastic flexible packaging industry has been rapidly developed, but also strongly promoted the progress of the pharmaceutical, chemical and food industries. The progress of these industries in turn further stimulated the market demand for plastic flexible packaging. With the continuous improvement of materials and processing technology, gravure plastic flexible packaging is playing an increasingly important role in many areas. In addition to living needs, pharmaceutical packaging, industrial product packaging, etc. also use plastic flexible packaging.
The connotation of green packaging
There is not a completely unified definition of green packaging. In general, moderate packaging that can be reused, reused, or degraded, and that does not pose a hazard to the human body or the environment throughout the product's lifecycle is called green packaging. The most important meaning of green packaging is to protect the environment, but it also has the significance of resource regeneration. As a result, developed countries in the world have determined that packaging must comply with the “4R+1D†principle, which means to minimize packaging resources, develop new green materials that are harmless to the human body and the environment, and be biodegradable and recyclable.
Therefore, this profound change in the plastics flexible packaging industry is from packaging processing equipment to technology, and then to material selection. All three aspects need to change from traditional to green.
New Advances in the Green Green Packaging Film in the Process of Green Composite Processing in Plastic Flexible Packaging Process
Reusable and recyclable
Repeated use of packaging such as the implementation of beer, beverages, soy sauce, vinegar and other packaging using glass bottles, repeated use. In Sweden and other countries, PET PET beverage bottles and PC milk bottles have been reused for more than 20 times. Wellman Holland and Holmson of the United States have recycled 100% PET containers. For example, polyester bottles can be regenerated in two ways after they are recycled. The physical method refers to the direct and thorough purification and comminution without any residual contaminants. The treated plastics are then used directly in the recycling of packaging containers; the chemical method refers to the recycled PET. After crushing and washing, depolymerizing agent such as methanol, ethylene glycol or diethylene glycol is used to depolymerize PET into monomers or partially depolymerize into oligomers under the action of a basic catalyst, and then condense and then polymerize monomers or oligomers. Recycled PET resin packaging material.
Edible
For decades, the familiar glutinous rice paper used for candy packaging and corn baking packaging cups for packaging ice cream are typical edible packaging. Among the more mature synthetic packaging films is the pullulan resin that has been industrialized since the 1970s. It is an odorless, odorless, amorphous, amorphous white powder that is non-ionic, non-reducing, and stable. Polysaccharides. Since it is a polyglucose composed of a-glucoside, it is easily dissolved in water and can be used as a viscous, neutral, nonionic, non-gelatinized aqueous solution.
Its 5%-10% aqueous solution can be made into a film with a thickness of 0.01mm by drying or hot pressing. It is transparent, colorless, odorless, nontoxic, has toughness, high oil resistance, can be eaten, and can be used as food packaging. . Its gloss, strength, and folding resistance are all better than films made from high-chain starch.
Recently, researchers in Wuhan developed a new edible packaging film for inner packaging materials. The product is made from raw materials such as dried husks, potatoes, broken rice, etc. through fermentation to convert into polysaccharides, which are then stretched into films. The membrane is a macromolecule made of glucose, which has the characteristics of edible, degradable, colorless and transparent, and good oxygen barrier. As a Food Packaging Film, its right-angle tear strength, mechanical strength, light transmission, etc. can reach the film standard of plastic packaging. After the film is made into a bag, the powdered milk and salad oil do not leak oil and can be consumed together with milk powder in water.
Degradable
Degradable material refers to a plastic whose chemical structure changes under a specific environment at a specific time. Degradable plastic packaging materials not only have the functions and characteristics of traditional plastics, but also can be decomposed and reduced in the natural environment through the action of ultraviolet light in the sunlight or microorganisms in the soil and water after the service life is completed. Re-enter the ecological environment. The degradable plastics are mainly divided into synthetic photodegradable plastics, photodegradable plastics and biodegradable plastics added with photosensitizers, and multi-functional degradable plastics that are combined with various degradable plastics. According to the environmental conditions of degradable plastics, it can be divided into photodegradable plastics, biodegradable plastics (fully biodegradable plastics, partially biodegradable plastics), chemically degradable plastics (oxygen degradable plastics, water degradable plastics), and composites composed of the above three degradable plastics. Degradation material. At present, domestic research and development of varieties have included photodegradation, photobiodegradation, photo-oxygen biodegradation, high-starch content biodegradation, high-starch content biodegradation, high calcium carbonate filled photo-oxygen degradation, and biodegradation.
Polylactic acid (PLA) is a new type of polyester material produced from organic acid lactic acid. Its performance is better than that of existing plastics such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene. It is defined by the industry as the most promising new type of packaging in the new century. Materials, a star of environmental protection packaging materials, will be expected to replace polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene and other materials for plastic products in the future, with broad application prospects.
Use paper materials
At present, many companies have considered the use of medium-sized, heavy corrugated boxes or white boxes to pack, and use a variety of moisture-proof fresh paper instead of plastic film for packaging. In the United States, more than half of plastic packaging has been replaced with new paper packaging. China's Shanghai Jiabao Packaging Company has introduced advanced equipment to develop a paper pulp model. This product is made from natural plant fibers such as reed pulp, bagasse pulp, wood pulp and other raw materials, which are scientifically formulated and molded. This pulp model is the ideal product to replace foam tableware.
Strengthen recycling and reuse, and realize ecological recycling of packaging waste
During the entire life cycle of the green packaging, it follows the principles of economic activities of “reduction, reuse, and resource recycling†of the circular economy so that the impact of packaging on the environment is minimized. In recent years, progress has been made in the recycling and reuse of plastic waste, and the secondary pollution problem has been gradually solved.
Packaging waste regulations vary from place to place, but there is a common principle: encourage the use of raw materials. In the packaging design, the same material should be used as much as possible, the materials that can coexist can be separated, and tend to use materials that are simple in structure and easy to recycle;
Under the premise of satisfying the packaging function, the amount of garbage generated is reduced as much as possible to present a lightweight development trend of the packaging film. The key technology is to use a new type of raw material such as bimodal polymer with super toughness, which can be processed thinly and can be easily processed. HDPE, polyolefins with metallocene catalysts, and excellent barrier materials. The domestic plastics flexible packaging industry has made many progresses in reducing waste pollution. With the gradual implementation of relevant domestic environmental protection laws and regulations, more progress will be made in the future. For example, the use of a heat-sealable stretch film plus a varnish significantly reduces the amount of material used, has been used in a large number of applications for cold drink ice cream packaging, and successfully reduces the thickness of the entire packaging film by using high-strength metallocene polyolefins. Over-packaging is also being gradually reduced; coextrusion compounding technology and equipment applications are also becoming more and more popular, solving the problem of precise control of the thickness of each layer of the film, the price of the expensive barrier layer can be controlled thin, and the fresh-keeping performance is doubled Even dozens of times better.
China is actively developing green packaging
The Asia Packaging Center established in Hangzhou is China's first global packaging industry center. The construction of this center is an important measure to achieve China's leap from 'the world's packaging power' to 'the world's packaging powerhouse'. Vigorously develop green packaging and environmental protection packaging, and strive to build the Asian packaging center into a world packaging industry center, making it the 'propeller' for the adjustment of China's packaging industry structure and the 'incubator' of the new packaging industry' to improve the international competition of China's products. Force has a very important significance.
Actively develop green packaging materials
Packaging materials for export goods can only be allowed to enter the importing country if they meet the requirements of the importing country, otherwise the customs of the importing country will not release. Many countries restrict or impose mandatory supervision and management on the packaging materials of imported goods in the form of laws and regulations. To this end, China has done a lot of work on green packaging.
The first is to avoid the use of toxic materials. Pigments, dyes, and paints used on packaging containers or labels should be made of materials that do not contain heavy metals. Adhesives used as bonding materials should not only be toxic or toxic, but also be easily decomposed during separation. The second is to use recycled materials as much as possible. At present, recycled recycled materials used in the world are mostly recycled paper, recycled cardboard boxes, molded pulp, peak pulp boards, and paper tubes made after recycling waste paper. The third is to actively develop plant packaging materials. Plants can basically reproduce continuously and multiply, and the extensive use of plants generally does not harm the environment, ecological balance and maintenance of resources, and is favored by the international packaging market. Fourth, choose a single packaging material. This eliminates the need to use special tools to disassemble the material. It also saves time for recovery and separation, and avoids the difficulties of recovery and separation due to the use of bonding methods.
Move closer to the international community on environmental signs
The ISO14000 environmental management system international standard stipulates that any product that does not meet the standard can be rejected by any country, so that products that do not meet the standard are excluded from international trade. China's environmental labeling system has fewer product categories and can not meet the needs of foreign trade development. Only by following this international trend and adopting active and effective means to catch up, can we fundamentally protect our country's foreign trade interests. At the same time as typical routes, this standard system is popularized. In addition, international environmental standards should also be studied as soon as possible. The international standards can be translated into national standards through administrative and legislative procedures, and can be used throughout the country. Domestic supporting regulations related to this international standard should also be formulated as soon as possible.
Packaging design must highlight the connotation of environmental protection
Designers must investigate the specific requirements of the international market for environmentally friendly packaging, such as regulations on environmentally friendly packaging in exporting countries, the depth of consumer environmental protection consumption concepts, green organizational activities, and development trends in environmentally friendly packaging, in order to fully consider these factors in the packaging design. In addition, the design of environmental protection should also be considered in the packaging design. This sign is different from the environmental label and can be designed by manufacturers, suppliers or wholesalers to indicate that a certain product has a certain environmental quality to obtain consumers. The goodwill has reached the goal of expanding marketing.
Based on the current development, professionals have also put forward the following opinions on China's packaging industry research and development of "green packaging":
First of all, it is necessary to accelerate technological innovation and develop new packaging materials, new processes and new products. This is also the key to the development of "green packaging." For example, foods are nowadays packed in plastic woven bags, which are high-molecular polymeric materials that are high in strength, low in cost, and resistant to corrosion, but contain few harmful substances.