World-class transparent barrier films with PE and BOPP substrates to go on sale starting with U.S. and European markets from November

GL-LE-G and GL-LP-G transparent barrier films ©Toppan Printing Co., Ltd.

Griffin, Georgia and Tokyo – Toppan Printing (Toppan), a global leader in communication, security, packaging, décor materials, and electronics, has announced that subsidiary Toppan USA, Inc. (Toppan USA) has completed preparations for the production and supply of polyethylene (PE) and biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) based additions to its market-leading series of GL BARRIER transparent vapor-deposited barrier films. Full-scale sales of PE-based “GL-LE-G” and BOPP-based “GL-LP-G” will be launched in November, initially for the U.S. and European markets. Toppan can now offer GL BARRIER films with polyethylene (PET), PE, and BOPP substrates to facilitate a full range of functional, mono-material packaging.

With growing attention on the problem of plastic waste, there is heightened demand for more eco-friendly packaging. Numerous global companies are taking measures towards targets for better circulation of containers and packaging, and efforts to drive recycling by adopting mono-material structures are gaining pace around the world. Schemes for the recovery and recycling of PE are starting to be seen in the U.S. and polypropylene (PP) is regarded as a recyclable material in Europe and other regions. Toppan has responded to these trends by driving the shift to mono-material functional packaging.

Samples of GL-LE-G and GL-LP-G have been made available to selected customers around the world since late 2019 under the provisional names GL-X-LE and GL-X-LP-G, and extensive assessments have been conducted to confirm their performance and market viability. With GL-LE-G, Toppan has employed its advanced processing technology to overcome the difficulty of vapor deposition on PE and create the world’s first transparent vapor-deposited barrier film with a PE substrate. GL-LP-G, meanwhile, achieves the world’s highest level barrier performance for a BOPP film. Both films demonstrate outstanding processability for printing and lamination with other materials, making them suitable for a wide range of purposes. Sales of GL-LE-G, GL-LP-G, and GL-BP (a BOPP-based high barrier film for boiling water sterilization and hot filling) will be targeted at the food and toiletries sectors.

“GL-LE-G and GL-LP-G have been made possible by taking full advantage of the technologies Toppan has developed over more than 30 years as a global leader in the manufacture of transparent vapor-deposited films,” said Masa Tatewaki, Toppan USA President & CEO. “With strong demand for eco-friendly and recyclable packaging solutions in light of such issues as the problem of plastic waste, we have received considerable interest in these new films and are targeting sales of $20 million in 2025. We will continue to advance more readily recyclable mono-material packaging for wide ranging contents and target the development of eco-friendly packages facilitating the circulation of plastic resources for a sustainable society.”

GL-LE-G and GL-LP-G will be on display in the Toppan USA booth (PE.SHOW/491) at PACK EXPO Connects, this year’s most comprehensive virtual packaging event, from November 9 to 13.