Products reduce plastic waste, improve packaging

Packaging supplier Baypac Solutions’ innovative solutions have resulted in its customers being able to reduce their use of disposable plastic by 50% on average.

Using one or all of Baypac Solutions’ Lock n Pop adhesive, Anti-Slip sheets and 55-layer Nanotechnology stretch film can halve stretch film use, says Baypac Solutions sales director Aoron Raven.

He adds that, stretch film is an elastic plastic wrap, used to wrap various products such as pallets and boxes for shipping and transportation.

Further, Raven explains that the Lock n Pop is a water-based adhesive that is made from organic Food and Drug Administration-approved ingredients.

Compared with traditional adhesives, which provide strong tensile (vertical) and shear (lateral) adhesion, Lock n Pop provides low tensile strength, which allows for packages to be separated easily without damaging the packaging surface.

The product is manufactured in the US by Lock n Pop subsidiary transit-packaging provider Signode.

“Lock n Pop is stronger, but cheaper than traditional stretch film. Using it means that a company can reduce or eliminate stretch film as a means of pallet load stabilisation, but almost all companies retain some stretch film as a dust cover,” he explains.

Raven notes that Lock n Pop is not affected by temperature, time or humidity and, consequently, continues to work for the entire life span of the packaging it is used on.

The product’s being 100% organic does not affect the recyclability of the paper or plastic on which it is used, he adds.

The Anti-Slip sheets are sheets of paper that have a specialised coating that increases the slip coefficient of the paper surface. These sheets can consequently be used between layers of packages to improve the stability of the pallet loads.

The sheets are used when the Lock n Pop is not feasible, such as bales of toilet paper, or on pallets to prevent a load from slipping off.

The stretch film was developed to allow for the use of very thin film that provided the same strength as that of traditional stretch film.

As a result, less film can be used to achieve the same result while saving on costs, as less film per pallet is used.

Raven notes that the three products are standalone products and are offered as separate solutions, although they can be used together “for the ultimate in cost savings”.

Although Lock n Pop was introduced to the local market in 2005, it is being applied at more than 100 sites around the country. Louw describes the response to the Anti-Slip sheets and Nanotechnology stretch film – introduced to the market in 2019 as “overwhelming”.

These products can be used in any industry where packages are palletised, he adds.

Baypac Solutions aims to reduce the use of throwaway plastic and achieve cost savings through its products.