Made from sugar cane, bio-sourced plastics offer a new level of sustainability

Wiltz, Luxembourg, and São Paulo, Brazil – UNITED CAPS, an international manufacturer of caps and closures, and Braskem, a leading Brazilian petrochemical company, today reported they have collaborated to deliver to the market GREENER bio-sourced plastic caps and closures made from sugar cane as an addition to the UNITED CAPS product portfolio.

“Braskem is pleased to be working with UNITED CAPS to bring their more environmentally sustainable GREENER closure solutions to the caps and closure market,” said Brendan Hill, Sales Manager at Braskem Netherlands B.V.

Bio ethanol, the feedstock for I'm green™ Polyethylene, the basis for UNITED CAPS GREENER bioplastic caps, is derived from sugarcane, a renewable alternative to traditional fossil feedstocks. Being a renewable feedstock, sugarcane captures and fixes CO2 from the atmosphere with every growth cycle, which occurs annually. This means that the production of I'm green™ Polyethylene contributes to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions when compared to conventional polyethylene, made from fossil materials.

“As a result, the carbon footprint of I'm green™ Polyethylene is negative, when considering our life cycle analysis. This means that every kilogram of I’m green™ Polyethylene used in UNITED CAPS products results in 3.09 kilograms of CO2 being sequestered from the atmosphere,” Hill explained “Apart from the feedstock, I’m green™ Polyethylene follows the same production process as traditional fossil Polyethylene, ensuring that our Polyethylene has the same characteristics, quality and properties as the fossil equivalent,” he added “It goes without saying that I’m green™ Polyethylene fits all existing end-of-life scenarios and that our ethanol is sustainably sourced with clear chain of custody certification possible.”

UNITED CAPS is initially bringing to market two standard closures manufactured using bioplastic resin from Braskem, including:

• The VICTORIA closure, a 30/25 screw closure designed for still drinks.
• PROFLATSEAL, ideal for dairy products and still drinks, both pressurized and non-pressurized.

“As we continue to take steps to ensure our caps and closures are as sustainable as possible, this partnership with Braskem is an important step in that direction,” said Astrid Hoffmann-Leist, Chief Marketing and Innovation Officer for UNITED CAPS. “Using bio-sourced plastics and developing high performance lighter weight caps and closures are just two of the ways we are pursuing more sustainable operations.”

Innovative caps and closures for the food and drink industry are the core business of the Luxembourg-based family company UNITED CAPS. Its custom-designed caps and closures solutions have been one of the most sought-after solutions in the packaging industry for years. The company has experience growth in the high single digits since its 2015 rebranding, with a significant percentage of production being bespoke products that are uniquely designed to meet customer needs for exceptional appearance and ease of use, both in the filling line and for the consumer.

The GREENER closures: same performance as traditional closures, but better for the environment.