Cardia Biohybrid selected for Fill-Air R5 inflatable packaging

As part of its commitment to the ‘five Rs’, Sealed Air Corporation has selected Cardia Bioplastics as its partner to develop its Fill-Air R5 inflatable packaging. Constructed of Cardia’s sustainable Biohybrid resin, the packaging meets Sealed Air’s environmental commitment to renewable and recycled content, and reduced, re-used and recyclable product - the five Rs.

The Fill-Air R5 film is designed for use on Sealed Air’s Fill-Air 2000 and Fill-Air Cyclone packaging systems that create air-filled cushions for void-fill applications to protect goods during transport. Using the Fill-Air cushions reduces material and shipping costs, Sealed Air says.

Fill-Air R5 inflatable packaging.

According to Cardia Bioplastics Managing Director Dr Frank Glatz, the main design goals for the Fill-Air R5 packaging were to reduce the need for petroleum-based plastics and to maintain the packaging integrity of the Fill-Air protective void cushions.

“First, our Cardia Biohybrid resin enabled Sealed Air to reduce their dependency on non-renewable petroleum-based resins by 10% and the incorporation of 10% preconsumer recycled content meant that this new film reduced the need for petroleum-based resins by 20%, as compared to the Fill-Air Select and Ultra films,” he said.

“The second aspect of Sealed Air’s performance standards presented a greater technical challenge. The Cardia Biohybrid resin had to meet precision performance standards during both the manufacture of the film and later at the point of use, when the film is inflated and used as void fill.”

The companies say the film delivers robust performance in demanding conditions, providing high-speed processing on the Fill-Air systems and giving excellent sealability to ensure good air retention to protect the packaged goods in transit.

“When it comes to sustainability, we focus on the total life cycle of our products and the products we protect,” said David Weiss, Business Manager for Sealed Air. “Our strategy involves understanding the beginning and end of life, in addition to the performance during use. The new Fill-Air R5 film addresses all of these areas.”

Cardia Biohybrid resins combine renewable thermoplastics with polyolefin material to reduce dependence on finite oil resources and reduce carbon footprint. The renewable material is derived from corn grown for industrial use.

“Working closely with the Sealed Air team, we contributed to making their commitment to the five Rs a reality,” said Glatz. “Sealed Air is another example of a major market leader taking the initiative to reduce consumption of virgin petroleum-based resin - in this case by a significant 20%.”