The company is accelerating the development of new bioplastic materials to create more sustainable product ranges following a series of successful trials since opening its new global Centre of Excellence at the start of the year.
One trial by Essentra revolves around seaweed, in collaboration with business startup FlexSea, to create seaweed-derived bioplastics that can be the source of a new range of products. This material is 100% bio-based and home compostable.
Types of bio-wood, Polyactic Acids and nylons have also been tested, including post-industrial recycled (PIR) nylons and a variety of different Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) from both PIR and post-consumer recycled (PCR) sources.
The company claims to have invested significant amounts in the pre-trial to ensure that ethical sourcing and the procurement of new materials, technical viability and safety is present in the moulding process.
Jennifer Spence, ESG Director at Essentra PLC, says that customers are very much focused on the detail of the materials they are using: “We continue to receive requests from customers around the sustainability aspects of our products,” she explains. “This is why we go into so much detail before the start of any trials into where the products have come from and how a material performs at the end of its life.
“The Centre of Excellence is not only driving the development of new and more sustainable products, but also directly contributing to our scope three emission targets in line with our Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) responsibilities and ambition towards achieving net-zero in our operations by 2040 and across our value chain by 2050."
