Nova goes global with resins for BOPE

Nova Chemicals Corp. now has resins used to make biaxially oriented high density polyethylene (BOPE-HD) film available on a global level.

Officials with Nova in Calgary, Alberta, said that films made with the resins are an alternative to traditional biaxially oriented PET films. They added that biaxial film manufacturers have successfully produced BOPE-HD film on commercial tenter frame lines.

BOPE-HD film is a recyclable alternative to traditional, non-recyclable, mixed material films for flexible packaging, officials said. The films extend the life of plastic packaging, they added, helping to eliminate waste.

Nova first made the resins as part of its Surpass-brand product line in 2020. Film companies that worked with Nova on commercializing the resins include Inteplast of the U.S., JK Materials of South Korea, Oben Group of Ecuador and Polivouga of Portugal.

BOPE-HD films are ideal for applications such as meat and poultry, cheese, seafood, snack food, carton liners, baked goods, fresh produce, frozen foods and deli bags, Nova officials said. They added that machinery maker Brückner Maschinenbau "has been instrumental" in bringing BOPE-HD online.

Brückner has sold 18 BOPE/BO polypropylene hybrid lines worldwide, with nine lines already in operation. These lines allow for additional capacity, officials said, allowing for continued development and production of BOPE-HD solutions. One of the new lines is being used by Polivouga.

"Understanding the positive impact of these fully recyclable films on our industry and the environment is precisely why we have invested in a hybrid line that can satisfy the demand for BOPE-HD film," Polivouga Technical Service and Development Manager Diogo Barros said.

Polivouga, JK, Brückner and packaging equipment supplier Effytec of Spain highlighted the Nova resins at the recent Interpack trade show in Düsseldorf, Germany.

"The successful launch of these films relied on the collaborative efforts of all the players involved in bringing mono-material packaging to the consumer and store shelves, including equipment manufacturers, film converters, and product packagers," Nova application development team leader Owen Lightbody said.

Nova is one of North America's largest PE resin makers. The firm employs almost 2,500 worldwide and has annual sales of $3.6 billion.

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