PETpla.net Insider 07+08 / 2011

MATERIAL / RECYCLING 13 PET planet insider Vol. 12 The use of the original UV blocker was no longer an option, as it could not reach this level of protection within its normal use level range without creating issues in processing. Color- Matrix Ultimate UV390 was introduced to obtain the higher specification in the new container. UV modelling and internal light sensitivity testing on vari- ous bottle contents allowed accurate determination of the required protec- tion. Not only could the use level be reduced to 0.11% for less sensitive products (a reduction of 66%), but for high sensitive products, the use level was reduced from 0.7% to 0.13% – a reduction of more than 80% (see fig.1). The visual impact of Ultimate UV390 used in com- bination with recycled content was minimised by the use of a specifically developed toner package, also used in other ColorMatrix additive solutions. Lean and green The implementation of Ulti- mate UV390 reduced overall packaging costs by 16%, and the total additive costs by 30% (see fig.2). It allowed Color- matrix to produce two different packaging solutions with one single product, without impact- ing the visual appearance, the manufacturing process or the mechanical properties of the container. Reducing materials usage not only reduces cost, but also contributes to the overall environmental impact of the process. These environmental benefits remain further down the line into the recycling stream, as the European PET Bottle Platform (EPBP) has recognised the recyclability of ColorMatrix’s Ultimate UV technologies by concluding that they will have “no negative impact on current European PET recycling.” www.colormatrix.com Performance Filling & Capping Labelling Blowing Fig. 1: Use level difference between standard UV blocker and Ultimate UV390 for low and high sensitive products. Fig. 2: Total resin & additive cost index before and after the introduction of Ulti- mate UV390. hours UV / Ultimate UV390 0.8% 0.6% 0.4% 0.2% 0% Low (380mm) High (390mm) 100 80 60 40 20 0 Before After Resin / Additive sensitive BEVERAGES