Reducing material use is an important part of developing more resource-efficient flexible packaging. But thinner film still needs to do the same job: protect the product, withstand handling and transport, and seal reliably.
This is the challenge of film downgauging – reducing film thickness while maintaining the performance required for the application.
What is film downgauging?
Using thinner film can reduce polymer consumption and packaging weight. At the same time, less material places greater demands on the film structure.
Properties such as toughness, puncture resistance, impact strength and seal performance become increasingly important as converters look for opportunities to reduce film thickness.
The possibilities depend on the application, the film structure and, importantly, the materials used.
Where do plastomers come in?
Plastomers are ethylene-, or propylene-based polymers that can be blended with other polyolefins to modify the properties of flexible packaging films.
Depending on the formulation, plastomers can improve toughness, impact strength and puncture resistance, helping films withstand mechanical stress at reduced thicknesses.
They can also improve heat-sealing performance and lower seal-initiation temperatures. This makes them particularly useful in sealing layers, where consistent seal performance is essential for package integrity.
For converters developing thinner film structures, these properties can provide greater flexibility in material and film design.
Reducing material without compromising function
Downgauging is also becoming increasingly relevant from a regulatory perspective.
Under the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), packaging placed on the EU market will, from 2030, need to be designed so that its weight and volume are reduced to the minimum necessary to ensure functionality.
The regulation takes more than material quantity into account. Product protection, mechanical performance, manufacturing and filling processes, transport and effective closing are all recognised as part of the packaging’s function.
A thinner film is therefore only an improvement if it continues to perform throughout production, distribution and use.
Explore plastomers for flexible packaging
There is no standard formula for film downgauging. Polymer selection, film structure, processing conditions, sealing requirements and the final application determine how far material use can be reduced. Plastomers can support this process.
Explore Esvama’s range of plastomers and find the right material for your flexible packaging application.
Less material. Same responsibility.
