TC Transcontinental Packaging wins FTA Innovations in Sustainability award
TC Transcontinental Packaging has been named the Winner for Innovations in Sustainability in this year’s Flexographic Technical Association (FTA) Sustainability Excellence Award competition for its Integritite post-consumer recycled collation shrink film.
This sustainable film includes 33% of post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic, is close to par with virgin plastic resin performance and is pre-approved by the How2Recycle for in-store drop-off. This PCR-containing film also has lower impact on the environment compared to a virgin Integritite shrink film. Through a life cycle assessment using the COMPASS Comparative Packaging Assessment software developed by Trayak LLC and endorsed by the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC), the analysis shows that the Integritite 33% PCR collation shrink film:
- Uses less fossil fuel, in particular because using PCR resin displaces virgin polymer production, reducing the use of fossil fuel feedstocks as raw materials;
- Lowers greenhouse gas emissions, because using PCR resin displaces virgin petrochemical-based resins, reducing GHG emissions caused by the processing of raw materials;
- Uses less water, because processing PCR resin requires less water than manufacturing virgin resin.
“It is very exciting and gratifying to receive such an award and to be recognised by our industry peers in developing sustainable packaging solutions,” said Rebecca Casey, senior vice president, Marketing & Strategy at TC Transcontinental Packaging. “This award is a tribute to our collaborative approach between our cross functional teams, The Coca-Cola Company, and the co-packer. This partnership drove collaborative innovation. We created value for recycled plastic waste, we pushed the bar further in sustainability, and we maintained our circular economy objectives as a top priority.”
This sustainable packaging was first commercialised in Fall 2020 in collaboration with AHA Sparkling Water, a brand of The Coca-Cola Company, and can be found on select Sam’s and BJ’s Club Store shelves in Ohio, Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, Indiana, South Carolina, North Carolina, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi and Delaware.
As signatories of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, TC Transcontinental shares the vision that plastic never becomes waste. This award-winning product shows the company’s commitment to developing sustainable packaging and reaching its goals of achieving, by 2025, a 10% use of PCR content on average by weight, across all plastics in its product basket.
