Sustainability from conception to logistics
RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FUTURE
H&K Müller's sustainable packaging and plastic jars meet the highest requirements in terms of UV protection, migration and impermeability and are mainly used for the packaging, storage and transport of products and media that have a long storage or retention time at the respective end user.
As early as the packaging development stage, care is taken to ensure that only as much raw material is used as is necessary for the respective purpose of the packaging. Through continuous research and further development of injection moulding technology, it is now possible to realise the thinnest wall thicknesses with consistently high packaging properties.
The injection moulding tools required for plastic injection moulding are manufactured entirely at H&K Müller in Engelskirchen, which ensures that the tools have a long service life.
H&K Müller's plastic containers and packaging are all manufactured in the DIN EN ISO 22000 food safety certified production facility in Engelskirchen. Environmentally friendly and sustainable packaging is produced from biologically based as well as biodegradable materials and recycled plastics.
Upon customer request, almost all containers and packaging can be decorated with an individual screen print. This variant of packaging finishing is significantly more environmentally friendly than labelling, as the printing ink is easier to process in the recycling process than a multi-coated paper or film label.
Thanks to the central location of H&K Müller's production facility, which is situated directly on Autobahn 4 near Cologne, customers throughout Germany can be supplied flexibly by means of a short supply chain.
Environmentally friendly packaging made from bioplastics
BIOLOGICALLY BASED AND DEGRADABLE
Biologically based plastic material
Environmentally friendly packaging can be made from biologically based plastics, among other things. The raw material for the production of these packaging materials is obtained from renewable raw materials, such as sugar cane or wood. Here, the renewable raw materials are usually not cultivated with the aim of producing bioplastics. A large part of the bio-based raw material is obtained from by-products or waste products of other production processes, such as tall oil from pulp production. The sustainability aspect of bio-based materials lies in a closed C02 cycle of the primary products and the use of production waste from food and paper production. Packaging made from bio-based plastics is approved for use in the food and pharmaceutical industries and is fully recyclable, but not biodegradable.
Biodegradable plastic material
Sustainable packaging made of biodegradable plastic is produced from renewable raw materials such as wood, hemp, grass or lactose. Biodegradable plastics offer a closed CO2 cycle and are approved for use in primary packaging in the cosmetics, food and pharmaceutical industries. In order to decompose, environmentally friendly packaging made from biodegradable raw materials requires a certain combination of temperature, humidity and time parameters. These conditions can only be achieved in specially designed composting plants, but not in nature.
Sustainable packaging made from recycled plastic
CIRCULAR ECONOMY IN THE PACKAGING INDUSTRY
Packaging made from pre-consumer recyclates
Plastic waste from industrial production
Packaging made of recycled pre-consumer recyclates are made from industrial waste. This is waste that accumulates in manufacturing companies during production processes in the form of start-up goods, sprues or rejects. Pre-consumer recyclates are therefore usually produced by type and in large quantities, which can be regranulated and reprocessed without great sorting and cleaning effort. Due to the strict legal regulations EC 10/2011 and EC 1935/2004, pre-consumer recyclates are not yet approved for use in primary packaging for food, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.
Packaging made from post-consumer recyclates
Packaging made from "post consumer recyclates" are produced from waste from end consumers, i.e. the yellow bin or the yellow bag. In sorting plants, the waste is sorted and cleaned according to the individual plastic types (PP, PE, PS, PET). The waste is cleaned either by means of washing processes or thermal-chemical pyrolysis. Primary packaging materials made from washed post-consumer recyclates are also not permitted for use in the pharmaceutical, food and a large part of the cosmetics industry. "Post consumer recyclates can also be obtained by means of thermal-chemical pyrolysis, which converts the waste back into the chemical feedstock used in the refining of plastics. These recyclates are also approved for use in food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic packaging.
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