Value chain partners aim to drive resource efficiency for mono-PE pouches

Borealis, Hosokawa Alpine, HP, Leygatech, Bostik, Nordmeccanica and Karlville Swiss have collaborated on a downgauged mono-material PE pouch structure, said to achieve a 10% reduction in total packaging weight through a thinner 15-micron MDO PE film and optimized low coating weight solvent-free lamination. Bostik tells us more in this edition of the Spotlight.

Reducing packaging weight while maintaining performance remains a key focus for flexible packaging converters. Designed for applications such as dry food, personal care and home care products, the structure illustrates how incremental material reductions applied at scale can improve resource efficiency.

A downgauged mono-PE pouch structure

Key elements include:

• 15-micron MDO PE film produced on a Hosakawa ALPINE MDO line using advanced Borstar (R) technology PE resins from Borealis, replacing the more typical 25-micron layer used in comparable structures.
• Solvent-free laminating adhesive from Bostik, applied with an optimized coating weight to reduce adhesive consumption.
• 75-micron PE sealant film supplied by Leygatech, enabling high mechanics with low temperature sealing.

The structure combines thinner film technology with optimized adhesive usage to achieve an overall 10% reduction in packaging weight.

While 10% downgauging may appear modest at the individual pouch level, the impact becomes significant when applied across millions of pouches produced each year. For further downgauging, reductions in sealant film thickness could be explored according to converter specifications.

The structure remains based on a mono-material PE design, increasing across the industry as companies work toward simplified packaging structures.

Designed with converter requirements in mind

The structure incorporates several features supporting efficient converting and pouch production:

• Resource efficiency through optimized adhesive usageThe solvent-free laminating adhesive from Bostik is applied with an optimized coating weight, lowering adhesive consumption while maintaining lamination performance.
• Excellent processability during convertingThe combination of the 15-micron MDO PE film and the PE sealant film has been designed to support stable processing during lamination and pouch-making operations.
• Solvent-free adhesive technologyLamination uses a solvent-free adhesive system widely adopted in flexible packaging production. The adhesive is RecyClass-certified and already used in numerous commercial structures.
• High-quality digital printing enabling premium aesthetics

Printing was carried out on the HP Indigo 200K Digital Press (HP Inc.), delivering high-quality digital output for premium packaging applications. The structure was produced using Enhanced Productivity Mode (EPM), which achieves CMYK-equivalent print results while eliminating the use of black ink, supporting reduced energy consumption and a lower CO2 footprint per square metre.

HP Indigo LEP inks for packaging are compliant with CEFLEX recyclability guidance.

Collaboration across the packaging value chain

• Resin supply – BorealisSupplied the PE resins used for the 15-micron MDO PE film.
• Film production – Hosokawa AlpineProvided the film extrusion and MDO technology used to produce the thin MDO PE film.
• Printing – HP Inc.Digital printing of the structure was carried out on the HP Indigo 200K Digital Press.
• Sealant film – LeygatechSupplied the PE sealant film used in the pouch structure. Also active in MDO and barrier films.
• Adhesive technology – BostikProvided the solvent-free laminating adhesive with optimized coating weight.
• Lamination – NordmeccanicaLamination was performed using a Nordmeccanica laminating machine. A global leader in lamination and coating, Nordmeccanica drives higher converting efficiency while promoting sustainable packaging and reduced material usage.
• Pouch manufacturing – Karlville SwissConverted the laminated structure into finished pouches.

Next steps

The partners are now exploring similar downgauged PE pouch structures incorporating barrier properties, extending the concept to applications requiring higher product protection while maintaining PE-based structures.

Samples will be available at the Bostik booth during Interpack – Hall 7, Booth A03A.

This content was sponsored by Bostik.