Evaluation of recyclable sachet foil material for sustainable packaging
Typ
Examensarbete på kandidatnivå
Bachelor Thesis
Bachelor Thesis
Program
Publicerad
2024
Författare
Djuric, David
Modellbyggare
Tidskriftstitel
ISSN
Volymtitel
Utgivare
Sammanfattning
Wellspect produces sterile single use urinary catheters, which are activated by a wetting solution before use. The catheters are individually packed in a plastic primary packaging with the enclosed wetting solution. The current Lofric Primo packaging has a sachet for the solution that is composed of a barrier laminate that is currently non-recyclable. This is relevant today as regulations from governmental entities such as EU are to come. The aim of this study was to investigate recyclable barrier materials as suitable replacements for the current non-recyclable aluminum-based barrier material of a sachet. The current Lofric Primo packaging has a sachet for the wetting fluid that is needed for activation of the hydrophilic catheter coating. The present sachet material is integrated into the packaging, which is incinerated after waste handling, and not recycled, in which the latter being the optimal solution for a sustainable world. Several different barrier materials based on polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP) and paper were tested for water vapor barrier properties and peel strength after welding. some of these materials, based on PP and PE showed promising results regarding relevant properties such as water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) and suitable weld strengths via tensile strength tests. However, the paper-based material had too poor barrier properties for realistic applications. These materials, more specifically the Mono PE ones, showed potential to, in the future, replace the current barrier laminate and in turn potentially improve the overall sustainability of the Lofric Primo product. However, the conversion to an alternative material is not guaranteed to improve the sustainability of the product as a life cycle assessment should be carried out to fully conclude if that truly is the case. Further investigation is needed to also determine if the suitability of these materials is still applied when produced in a large-scale operation.