Sustainability, resource conservation and innovative product development are vital to the success of companies in the packaging industry and no longer mere buzzwords. Fernholz Verpackungen from Meinerzhagen is a prime example of this trend. As a medium-sized specialist in the manufacture of plastic packaging – including yoghurt cups, trays and lids – the company has built an excellent reputation in the food and dairy industries. Applying modern processes such as injection moulding, thermoforming and film extrusion, Fernholz consistently focuses on forward-looking solutions.

The sustainable focus of product development among the hallmarks of the corporate strategy. Fernholz invests steadily in research and development to improve the resource efficiency and green credentials of its packaging. The use of biobased and recycled plastics is a particular focus. The company’s expertise is so appreciated that even global market leaders such as LyondellBasell rely on their collaboration with Fernholz.

Among the world’s preeminent manufacturers of plastics, LyondellBasell produces innovative polyolefin compounds based on chemical recycling under the name CirculenRevive. This advanced molecular recycling process enables the breakdown of plastic waste that can no longer be mechanically recycled into its molecular components. The pyrolysis oil obtained in this way is used as a raw material for the production of new polymers. The major advantage: waste streams that had previously required incineration or were sent to the landfill can now be returned to the material cycle. Doing so actively contributes to reducing plastic waste, while also improving the ecological balance.

Despite the promising prospects of chemical recycling, one question remains nevertheless in practice: can films made from recycled materials be processed just as easily and with identical production parameters as the conventional varieties? In order to obtain an answer, LyondellBasell and Fernholz Verpackungen used CirculenRevive to conduct a thorough series of tests with a manufacturer of thermoforming and packaging machines to investigate the process capability of recycled polypropylene (rPP).

To do so, Fernholz developed a special rPP film with a recyclate content of 10 percent. The aim was to series manufacture a plastic cup and to test the entire thermoforming process under realistic conditions.

The result of the test series is clear: processing of the rPP film proceeded smoothly. All production parameters corresponded to those of conventional films – without any differences in the thermoforming process. This proves that recycled materials are, in practice, just as efficient as conventional raw materials and can be seamlessly integrated into ongoing production processes.

The detailed test results and the resulting cup were presented to a broad specialist audience at the K Show in Düsseldorf. The project impressively underlines how collaboration in the spirit of partnership and innovation can yield sustainable solutions for the packaging industry.

With this project, Fernholz Verpackungen is consolidating its role as an innovator and pioneer in the field of sustainable plastic packaging. Steady investment in research and development is paying off. Packaging weights and film thicknesses are dropping, while used packaging is being fed into the recycling loop at the same time. And all this is possible with identical production parameters and without compromising on quality.

Fernholz Verpackungen impressively demonstrates how sustainability, cost-efficiency and innovative drive go hand in hand – thus raising the bar for the entire industry.