44 PRODUCTS PETplanet Insider Vol. 24 No. 05/23 www.petpla.net PET masterbatch in sea glass look Ampacet, a global manufacturer in masterbatches, captures the look and feel of the naturally weathered shards of discarded glass polished by the ocean and prised by beachcombers around the world with its new SeaGlass Collection. Ampacet says that the SeaGlass Collection’s carefully curated palette includes the softened blush of Quiet Coral, the highly prised colour found in Rarified Red, the beauty of Pitted Lime, and one of the rarest colours of beach glass, Tumbled Teal. These unique effects for PET are intended to enhance the shelf appeal of packaging and products without a mould change. As with other coloured PET packaging, products made with SeaGlass can find a second life recycled into textile fibres. www.ampacet.com Fiji Water transitions bottles to 100% rPET in the EU and UK Fiji Water, an artesian water from the Fiji Islands, is transitioning its 500ml and 330ml bottles to 100% recycled plastic (rPET), excluding caps and labels, in the UK and EU markets starting in Spring 2023. This move is claimed to be a significant step towards reducing plastic waste and replaces nearly 70% of Fiji Water’s projected bottle volume worldwide (per 2023 sales forecast) with recycled material. The company is committed to transitioning its entire bottle portfolio to rPET by 2025. In addition to introducing 100% rPET bottles (excluding caps and labels), Fiji Water has also invested about FJ$5 million (US$2.27 million) in energy efficiency initiatives on the Fijian islands, which includes the use of microturbine energy generation and adopting low-sulphur fuel standards for shipping, reducing sulphur oxide emissions. Locally in Fiji, the Fiji Water Foundation focuses on sustainability and the preservation of the islands, along with supporting and improving the lives of native Fijians through initiatives such as providing access to clean water, healthcare services, and grants for local schools and organisations, and more. Since 2007, the Fiji Water Foundation has provided funding to large-scale reforestation and conservation efforts to preserve and protect the Sovi Basin, Fiji’s most important forest ecosystem and the largest remaining lowland rainforest, in partnership with Conservation International. Fiji Water is a division of The Wonderful Company. To date, The Wonderful Company and co-owners Stewart and Lynda Resnick have invested more than $1.3 billion USD in environmental sustainability initiatives to help fight climate change. This commitment includes the largest ever gift for sustainability research of $750 million to Caltech, and $50 million USD to TechnionIsrael Institute of Technology for research and sustainability. A portion of the research will focus on decomposable plastics, along with tackling issues of water, energy, food, and waste in a world confronting rapid climate change. Additionally, The Wonderful Company joined RE100, a global initiative made up of some of the world’s biggest companies, which have committed to using 100% renewable energy. www.fi jiwater.co.uk New UV additive for rPET with improved recyclability Avient Corporation announced the launch of ColorMatrix Ultimate UV390R, a new ultraviolet (UV) light-absorbing additive technology for both virgin and recycled PET resins. Part of the Ultimate portfolio, the new additive is claimed to be especially useful with high levels of rPET, offering UV protection that allows less than 10% UV light transmission up to 395 nm, or the edge of the visible spectrum, to protect contents from degradation. When using this additive technology with rPET, other benefits include improved bottle mechanical strength for better bottle-blowing performance, reduced bottle blowouts and stoppages, and lightweighting opportunities. This additive technology also can improve reheat performance and thereby reduce carbon emissions during bottle-blowing. Additionally, by helping to reduce yellowing of rPET upon subsequent heat histories, this additive technology supports improved recyclability. Beverages and personal care products can be affected by UV light, causing degradation of sensitive ingredients such as vitamins, micronutrients, and product emulsifiers, leading to reduced product quality and shelf life. Plastic packaging for these applications often requires an effective UV barrier, ideally allowing less than 10% UV light transmission up to 395 nm, or the edge of the visible spectrum, to protect its contents and increase shelf life. When choosing performance additives for packaging, brand owners and manufacturers typically seek solutions that can help them progress toward their goals for a circular economy and enable them to meet legislation and directives on rPET content without compromising efficacy. www.avient.com
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