The simplest definition of a mono-material is a product made entirely of one kind of material. Contrast this with multi-material packaging, which is constructed from a variety of materials including paper, fabric, metal, plastic, and glass. Mono material is often simpler to recycle than things manufactured from numerous materials because they only contain one material.
At many points throughout the packaging value chain, efforts are being made to develop polymer formats that are simpler to recycle in order to reduce plastic pollution and adopt circular economy models. Due to the requirement to separate the various film layers, conventional multi-layer composite films are challenging to recycle, and many nations lack the appropriate recycling facilities and procedures. Mono-material films, on the other hand, are made from a single type of polymer and are completely recyclable.
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Polyethylene (PE)
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Polypropylene (BOPP, OPP, cast PP)
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Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
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Regenerated cellulose fiber (RCF).
Why Choose Mono Material Packaging?
While Mono material pouch packaging has traditionally been the norm, firms are increasingly wanting to transition to mono-material packaging. They anticipate that doing this will make their packaging more sustainable, easily recyclable, and environmentally beneficial, promoting a circular economy.
Before recycling, different packaging materials can sometimes be easily disconnected; for instance, it is simple to separate glass bottles with paper labels. After that, the materials can go through the various recycling procedures. Although these aren't Monomaterial packaging in the traditional sense, they do promote sustainability because it's simple to separate and recycle each component independently.
Innovative solutions are being developed by plastic resin makers all over the world to address the trend of mono-material in recyclable packaging. In response, SCG's Chemicals Business is creating Monomaterial l packaging solutions in Sydney based on PP and PE to meet the needs of all significant packaging applications.
We, the consumers, will need to change our behavior in addition to playing our part as responsible consumers, starting with simple things like fully utilizing the resources, correctly sorting the waste, and properly disposing of them. As brand owners and manufacturers reinvent themselves and take an active role in realizing the circular economy, we, the consumers, will also need to play our part. With these small adjustments, we can make sure that recyclable materials can be separated out and treated appropriately while usable resources may be recovered and recycled.
Increasing demand for packaging made of one material
Let's face it: customers today are more and more aware of the issues with plastic recycling, and they want a solution! Pretty soon, mixed plastic items might be considered as uncool as smoke or single-use plastic bags. Consumers now expect enterprises to increase recyclability; it is no longer a good bonus.
There has been a social trend away from unsustainable items since the COVID-19 pandemic began. For example, choosing goods with more environmentally friendly packaging is something that 60% of consumers say they try to do when making purchases. In light of this, it's critical for firms to think about environmentally friendly Mono material packaging options for their goods.
