Zotefoams, a global leader in advanced cellular materials, will showcase its ReZorce® Circular Packaging range at Pack Expo 2024. This pioneering mono-material barrier substrate is currently being developed for beverage carton applications, where it will deliver a lower carbon footprint, 100% recyclability and, for the first time for this pack format, the prospect of circularity. Hot on the heels of success in two major awards schemes – the German Packaging Prize and the Reuters Sustainability Awards – Zotefoams will use Pack Expo to demonstrate how ReZorce mono-material barrier packaging can help brand owners and retailers halve the carbon footprint of aseptic beverage cartons, while contributing towards the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Recycling Goal of 50% by 2030. These commitments are possible for two reasons: firstly, ReZorce is a mono-material produced from common, easily processed and recycled polymers, and second, its structure, which enables incorporation of a high proportion of post-consumer recyclate within its inner, foamed layers. ReZorce cartons can replace composite ones in a wide range of applications - juices, dairy alternatives, soups, stocks and broths, laundry and personal care. Legislation in Europe and indeed, in some States of the USA, is aimed at promoting circular economy goals and disincentivising packaging that is not designed for recycling. Until now, liquid packaging board (LPB), produced from layers of wood fibre, polyethylene and sometimes aluminium, has been the only choice for beverage cartons. While LPB offers advantages in terms of weight and transport efficiency, it is not designed for recycling. ReZorce is based on a proprietary microcellular foaming technology originating from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). This is used to inject atmospheric gases into plastic extrusions during the melt phase to create a foamed core bounded by solid skins. The foamed layers create an inherent barrier to atmospheric oxygen and moisture, while enabling the material to be folded in the same way as paperboard. ReZorce has been designed for easy transition from LPB cartons, using the same filling and sealing machinery with minimal modification. An independent Life Cycle Assessment demonstrates that, compared to an aseptic LPB carton for the same duty, ReZorce uses a 53% less energy, 51% less water and has a 55% lower global warming impact. Zotefoams is currently in the latter stages of developing ReZorce for beverage carton applications and in May this year, announced its Joint Development Agreement with Refresco, the world’s leading independent packer of beverages for retailers and A-brands, up to and including market trials for a north European supermarket chain. ReZorce is a disruptive packaging product with huge potential: the global beverage carton market alone is estimated at over 250 billion units per annum and ReZorce can be applied to other formats, such as pouches and trays.