APR’s strict recycling standards are met by the company's mono-material barrier tube, in versions both with and without thin film metallization.

Hoffmann Neopac, a global provider of high-quality packaging for pharma, beauty and oral care, has been granted approval for its Polyfoil MMB mono-material barrier tube by the US-based Association of Plastic Recyclers. Offering a groundbreaking combination of product protection, user friendliness and appealing aesthetics, the tubes passed muster both with and without its thin film metallization option.

Neopac’s Polyfoil MMB tubes can reduce packaging carbon footprints by up to 38% compared with traditional laminated tubes. The tube body is made possible through a first-of-its-kind adhesive laminated process – a contrast to the existing blown film and extruded film solutions recently adopted by big oral care brands. Key advantages include advanced barrier and aesthetic options in the tube body. The tube’s shoulder and cap are made with low MFI HDPE and just 2% of foreign material. End of 2020, Polyfoil MMB tubes became the first such tube/cap combination successfully tested by RecyClass, an initiative by Plastics Recyclers Europe.

To gain approval from the US Association of Plastic Recyclers, a review committee appointed per the APR Recognition Operating Procedures reviewed Neopac’s thorough data submission. The group concluded that this research was correctly developed by a qualified laboratory, and certified that the Polyfoil MMB tubes meet or exceed both challenging test conditions and the organization’s uncompromising criteria for packages recycled in the HDPE bottle stream, of which tubes are a subset.

Owing to Neopac’s advancements in materials science, Polyfoil MMB accomplishes recyclability goals while maintaining the attractive printing and decorative options for which Neopac’s conventional Polyfoil tubes are known. The solution is available with a non-compromising metallized look and, when combined with Neopac’s HDPE screw and hinge closures, comes fully ready for recycling in PE rigid streams.

Neopac’s Polyfoil MMB exemplifies the plastic industry’s efforts to develop high-end PE barrier tubes compatible with dedicated recycling streams. The proliferation of new technologies and products for packaging in various sectors – including pharma, whose patient-first concerns can present materials sustainability challenges – that align with enhanced recycling principles shows strong commitment from value chain actors, contributing to an increase in overall recycling targets and furthering the goal of reaching plastics circularity.

The first series of Polyfoil MMB tubes is now available, with oral care brands committed to shift this year and both pharmaceutical and cosmetic customers already performing stability or compatibility tests.

Contact Neopac to learn more about this certified recyclable tube.