Why do we need this replacement?
According to Smitherspira, “Global demand for transparent barrier films is projected to reach 1.5 million tonnes in 2015, and is forecasted to grow at an annual average rate of 3.9%, reaching 1.9 million tonnes in 2021.”
Although the aluminum foil market is a growing industry now, it is a converting one. Manufacturers are shaken due to preliminary antidumping duties ranging from 96 percent to 162 percent, on top of primary countervailing taxes in the range of 16% to 81%, and converters are looking for new products to maintain or improve their performance in laminated structures. Moreover, recent developments in the US Department of Commerce investigation on Chinese aluminum foil imports have also contributed towards molding the industrial decision of Packaging Films and Foils.
Smitherspira gave their statement based on a comprehensive view of the current and future trends of the transparent barrier film and barrier foil markets, key market drivers and trends for the transparent barrier film and barrier foil markets from 2015-2021 and also after analyzing how manufacturing and retailing trends impact transparent barrier film and barrier foil demand.
What Are The Alternatives?
The process of finding different alternatives is a continuous one and efforts are being targeted towards this scenario daily. In this piece, there are the top four alternatives outlined, along with their uses.
(1) Celplast Metallized Products offers several metalized film grades suitable to replace aluminum foil, providing outstanding barrier properties, give a better impact and are puncture-resistance as well as have the potential waste reduction for demanding applications. (2) DURAMET is the latest development in ultra-high barrier metalized films. A protective top-coating for scratch-resistance and improved Gelbo-flex performance helps to maintain barrier in laminated structures as the package flows through the supply chain. This new alternative is critical in the growing e-commerce space and consumers’ expectations on product appearance and performance. DURAMET expands Ceplast’s foil replacement portfolio to the extent that today it includes films such as (3) FOILMET, and (4) FOILMETPLUS too. These films offer excellent WVTR and OTR barrier values and success in many foil replacement applications.
Overall, DURAMET, FOILMET, FOILMET PLUS films also allow converters to eliminate layers and reduce material usage in existing products, contributing to CPGs sustainability goals.
