Issue 06/2018

Films/Flexibles/Bags
What’s new in
cellulose based films
When Futamura
acquired its
cellulose films
business in 2016, including
the trademark brands
Cellophane and NatureFlex, the
business was already braced for positive change,
with early investment from owners Futamura, the cellulose
films business based in Wigton (Cumbria, UK) and Tecumseh
(Kansas, USA), strengthened its core production facilities
and planned for strategic growth. Then who could have
foreseen that the broadcast of one BBC nature documentary,
Sir David Attenborough’s Blue Planet II, would put the
metaphorical cat amongst the pigeons (or catfish amongst
the shrimp?) turning this plastic world as we know it upside
down and placing a spotlight on bio-material alternatives to
single-use conventional plastics.
Traditionally, renewable and compostable NatureFlex
films are in popular with ethical companies wanting to do
the right thing with their packaging, and increasingly from
new business start-ups who want to get their sustainable
packaging journey kicked off on the right foot, right through
to retailers and large brand owners who are more and more
considering bio-alternatives to conventional plastic films
for main stream brands.
NatureFlex is ideal for flexible applications packaging
fresh produce, as well as dry products such as tea and
coffee. However, there are great success stories when
laminated to other bio-materials such as; The Curiosity
Co. bacon, which has received much attention following
the launch of the UK’s first so-called PLASTIC FREE ® aisle
at the Thornton’s Budgens Bellsize park store in early
November. In addition to bacon packs, NatureFlex was
used by Budgen’s to replace cling film for wrapping their
deli cheese, and could be found in numerous flexible packs
in store ranging from the recently launched Two Farmer’s
crisp range to Tea Pigs.
The Plastic Free Trustmark, created by A Plastic Planet,
states in its criteria that a flexible package must be certified
to the EN13432 standard and / or TÜV Austria Home
compost, making NatureFlex the ideal solution either
on its own or laminated to other certified compostable
biomaterials.
Other applications using NatureFlex films include
pouches, cereal liners, coffee capsules (lidding), and
sachets for tea, coffee, herbs and spices and flow wraps for
chocolate bars, overwrap for yeast, tea cartons and many
more everyday items. MT
www.futamuragroup.com
12 bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/18] Vol. 13