ITENE will showcase its solutions for adapting packaging to the circular economy at the K trade fair

It will participate in the event to be held in Düsseldorf from 16 to 23 October with a stand in hall 5 and will be giving a presentation on the PlastiCircle project.

At the K trade fair, to be held in the German city of Düsseldorf from 16 to 23 October, the Packaging, Transport and Logistics Research Center (ITENE) will be showcasing a number of technological solutions aimed at adapting plastic packaging to the requirements established by the European Union in order to move towards a circular economy by 2030.

ITENE, which is a reference centre in the fields of packaging, transport and logistics, will be present at stand E01 in hall 5, where it will be showcasing solutions in four main areas: the development of new plastic materials, preservation and quality control systems for packaged products, optimisation of packaging systems and innovation in material recycling processes.

In addition, ITENE’s Sustainability Manager, César Aliaga, will be giving a presentation on the PlastiCircle project (2017-2021) which aims to promote the circular management of plastic from separation through to collection, transport and recycling. The project is financed by the European Horizon 2020 programme and is coordinated by ITENE together with the participation of another 19 partners.

The presentation will be held on 18 October from 10.30 a.m. to 12.00 p.m. during the special “Plastics shape the future” event, organised by PlasticsEurope and Messe Düsseldorf, at stand 6/C 40 in hall 6.

Visitors to the ITENE stand will be given an insight into the new materials developed by this research centre that improve the physical-mechanical, thermal and/or barrier properties of packaging, as well as its environmental sustainability. These materials include polylactic acid (PLA), a biodegradable bioplastic which, when reinforced with clays, improves its barrier properties by 40%. It will also be showcasing a 100% biodegradable and compostable multilayer packaging solution (BIOACTIVELAYER) designed for packaging dry and dehydrated foods.

ITENE has developed a number of solutions for the preservation and quality control of packaged products, including labels that indicate the freshness of packed chicken (FRESHCODE), as well as packaging that releases antimicrobial substances to prevent contamination of packaged chicken by the Campylobacter bacteria (CHICKENPACK), and flexible film packaging that protects pasta from humidity and insects (PASTA-ACTIVEPACK). Both of these last two developments have been undertaken by companies, ensuring their viability and availability in the market.

The centre will also be presenting a technological breakthrough to improve waste sorting using markers to identify and separate multilayer packaging from the general waste stream in sorting plants in order to generate purer flows. This improvement has been made possible thanks to the SEPLAYER project, financed by the Valencian Regional Government (IVACE) through ERDF funds.

Finally, in the area of packaging optimisation, ITENE has developed new sensors to measure critical parameters (impacts, vibrations, temperature, humidity, pressure and concentration of gases) that affect loads during transport through the ALLSENS project, also supported by IVACE. These sensors will be on display at Itene’s stand at the K trade fair, where the centre’s capacity and infrastructure for transport simulation tests will also be showcased.

Through these developments, ITENE helps companies to adapt to the requirements established by the European Union in the plastics strategy for a circular economy, published in January 2018, which stipulates that by 2030 all packaging marketed in the European market must be 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable.

With 25 years of experience, ITENE offers companies a wide range of research and development, innovation and technical assistance projects and services, as well as over 500 types of packaging, transport and logistics tests. In its 7,000 square metre facilities, located in the Paterna Technology Park (Valencia), it also has test laboratories and simulation machines equipped with the most advanced technology and led by a team of over 160 experts (20% of whom hold a PhD).