Innovative polystyrene, polypropylene & plastic packaging, bespoke packaging and technical parts - Knauf Industries.

CIRCULAR ECONOMY FOAMS

As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy, Knauf Industries is committed to innovating for a more plastics circular economy. Knauf Industries now offers a wide range of single-material product solutions as alternatives to current petroleum-based materials, contributing to the circular economy of plastics: from packaging products to technical parts.

Eco-design and innovation through materials

As a converter of cellular foams – expanded polystyrene (EPS) and expanded polypropylene (EPP) – and in response to the ever more demanding expectations of its customers, Knauf Industries embarked on a transformation towards the circular economy in 2020. “Our mission is to offer our customers solutions in favor of the circular economy, in order to guarantee sustainable growth!”

Knauf Industries innovates through materials, developing material solutions from renewable resources (like biomass) or recycled materials (derived from the recycling of post-consumer plastic waste), avoiding the use of fossil feedstocks as little as possible, in partnership with raw material suppliers.

These solutions fit in perfectly with the circular economy proposed by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.

Our innovation and development center, ID lab Knauf Industries, develops material solutions incorporating up to 100% recycled materials, or derived from sustainable renewable resources.

These new materials are used in the manufacture of packaging and packaging solutions, as well as in the manufacture of technical or construction parts.

Knauf Industries therefore ensures that the resources used to manufacture these solutions do not compete with food resources (the use of organic waste, for example).

Knauf Industries undertakes to ensure that any material solution developed, or product manufactured has an existing recycling channel or one that is being set up in the short term.

Knauf Industries alternatives foams to petroleum-based materials

Knauf Industries is committed to innovating, co-developing and researching less impactful materials to offer its customers packaging solutions that contribute to the circular economy of plastics.

One foam from renewable resources:

Zoom in on the hands of a person holding a neops box Knauf Industries
  • NEOPS®, certified foam material derived from sustainable renewable resources1.

This alternative to expanded polystyrene (EPS) is one of the material innovations born of collaboration between ID lab and raw material producers. NEOPS® is manufactured using the Mass Balance method and is certified REDcert²*. This innovation, derived from renewable non-food resources, reduces the need to use fossil raw materials.

With NEOPS®, greenhouse gas (CO2) emissions are reduced by at least 30% (can be justified by internal calculations).

Products and technical parts made from NEOPS® can deliver a wide range of performances: thermal, fire resistance, shock absorption and even food contact.

1 Biomass from industrial waste unsuitable for food use or organic waste (organic waste from the forestry industry, not involved in deforestation, no competition with agricultural land for food production). Directive (EU) 2015/1513), Annex IX, Part A.

*Certification system for the use of sustainable biomass in the chemical industry. To date, 18 Knauf Industries sites are REDcert² certified: 16 in France and 2 in Spain.

Two foam from recycled sources:

  • CELOOPS®, foam made from up to 100% raw materials derived from the recycling of post-consumer plastic waste

This alternative to expanded polystyrene (EPS) is petroleum-free and certified by TÜV in accordance with REDcert². REDcert² certification guarantees that the producers of alternative raw materials have substituted the virgin fossil resource with a resource derived from the recycling of post-consumer plastic waste. Knauf Industries is also part of this REDcert² certification process for the manufacture and marketing of its CELOOPS® products.

At the end of their life, as NEOPS®, CELOOPS® products are sorted and recycled through existing EPS channels.

« A material of choice for packaging solutions and technical parts! »

photo of a celoops tray, an alternative to EPS, Knauf Industries
picture of cheese packaging in r'kap, alternative to PP, Knauf Industries
  • R’KAP®, the single-material packaging for food products made from recycled post-consumer plastics.

Formulated on the basis of polypropylene (PP), this alternative complements Knauf Industries’ existing range of materials known as KAP’.

This material offers perfect welding quality in a protective atmosphere or under skin. It can be microwaved and pasteurised, and is 100% recyclable through existing PP channels. R’KAP® is available in Kapseal®, Kapclear® and Kaplight®.

Contact us for more information.