Environmentally-friendly packaging

Furthermore, it is not tme that other plastics are more environmentally friendly than vinyl. A more recent study compared vinyl to a number of other packaging materials and found that vinyl consumed the least amount of energy, used the lowest level of fossil fuels, consumed the least amount of raw materials, and produced the lowest levels of carbon dioxide of any of the plastics studied (184). In fact, the Norwegian environmental group BeUona has concluded that a generally reduced use of vinyl plastics can lead to a worsening of the environmental situation (185). 

Fig. 10-6 Decision tree to help designers develop environmentally friendly packaging. 

Polyesters are now one of the economically most important classes of polymers, with an overall world production between 25 and 30 million tons in 2000, consisting mostly of PET. This production is rapidly increasing and is expected to continue to do so during the next decade, driven by packaging applications, due to a very favorable image of environmentally friendly and recyclable polymers in western countries, and by textile applications, due to a strong demand in the far-east area to satisfy the needs of an increasing population. 

Additional costs because retail packs of organic meat would be produced away from the supermarket, using environmentally friendly packaging. 

Poly(vinyl acetate) polymers are environmentally friendly because they easily biodegrade. Poly(vinyl acetate) may be hydrolyzed to poly(vinyl alcohol) which is then assimilated by naturally occurring organisms. In the use of emulsion polymers, the associated components (stabilizers, initiators, etc) should be scrutinized for their effect on the environment. Poly(vinyl acetate) is nontoxic and is approved by the U.S. FDA for food-packaging (qv) applications (CFR 176.170,175.105). Components in the emulsion polymer system which may migrate from the film into the food may impact the approval of the total package. In food applications the impact on odor and taste of residual low molecular weight components may be important in the selection of a product for use. 

Cortec Corporation of White Bear Lake, MN, is a manufacturer of environmentally responsible packaging, metalworking, cleaning, water treatment and metal protection technologies. Cortec manufactures over 300 products in five plants located in Minnesota, Wisconsin. It is a global supplier of environmentally-friendly speciality chemicals, plastics and coated paper. 

Good Flag Biotechnology has experienced a sharp growth in demand from food manufacturers, retailers and hotels for its 100% biodegradable packaging. The company has invested 2.5 million in new equipment from Germany to produce environmentally friendly thermoformed cups from PLA. The company has production capacity for 12 million items per day for both PLA and PP cups. 

Signum is committed to the development of environmentally-friendly packaging and offers a large proprietary range of produce, deli, bakery and food service containers. Signum is a sole or major... 

The main function of the printing process is to provide contrast and colour to the substrate. The ink must meet the requirements that depend on the printing process and the substrate, i.e., rheological properties, surface chemical properties and drying properties. Consequently the composition of inks varies widely. In addition, it should be user and environmentally friendly. As for food packages, toxicological and migration properties must be observed. 

In the first step of the partnership, BASF provided its eco-efficiency expertise (see Section 6.1.3 for detailed discussion of BASF eco-efficiency analysis) to help Moroccan textile dye works operate in a more efficient and environmentally friendly way. Based on the eco-efficiency analysis and the experience of many years with products and processes in the textile sector, BASF developed a software package, which was given to Moroccan companies free of charge. The software tool substantially simplifies the compilation of an eco-efficiency analysis. It uses key technical data to calculate how the manufacturing process can be improved. 

High standards ol animal welfare Environmentally friendly package... 

There are increasing pressures on the pharmaceutical industry to use environmentally friendly materials in products, which are biodegradable or recyclable and do no harm to the environment. Examples are the replacement of CFCs in pressurised metered dose aerosols and the replacement of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) for alternative packaging materials in some countries. Any special restrictions on the use of materials in the product need to be identified at the product design stage. The choice of appropriate materials to suit product, customer and environment may also have cost implications. 

Lithium ion (Li-ion) batteries are environmentally friendly batteries that offer more energy in smaller, lighter packages and thus are promising candidates for electric and hybrid vehicle apphcations. The electrode reactions are ... 

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