Up next in our speaker interview series, we have Aldo Mortara, Commercial Director of Vitopel.

Vitopel in Brazil is the most relevant packaging solution provider in BOPP films. Focus on innovation rather than in volume scale with close relationship with brand owners such as Nestlé, PepsiCo and among other international and regional brand owners. Aldo leads the Commercial area which comprehends, domestic & export sales, marketing & business intelligence, innovation & development (including an R&D Lab & a Pilot Line).

How do you see the industry developing and growing in the next three-to-five years?

Sustainability will be more and more the key driver for the flexible packaging industry development and growth. Adding new attributes to single polymer substrates as to allow design for economically viable recyclable post-consumer package residue is the top priority (barrier, seal ability toughness). Cooperation within the industry supply chain will be the name of the game.

What do you consider to be the biggest challenges facing the industry at the moment?

Beyond the development of sustainable packaging solutions, the industry has been facing an increasing challenge regarding segregation, collection, sorting of PCR residue as to allow the recycling chain to produce a high quality (purity) recycled polymer for economically viable PCR utilization. Food safety and food contact regulations will be relevant aspects of circularity development.

In your view, what has been the most exciting development in the industry in the last couple of years? And why?

The industry has been breaking old paradigms and moving forward towards flexible packaging design for recycling. Brand owners are reviewing packaging specs as to eliminate costly and over spec packaging. Film producers are adding attributes such as, high oxygen barrier, thermal stability and tightness of seal as to meet revised packaging specs. Finally packaging machines technological evolution allows light weight sustainable package use. Replacement of 3 ply multi material laminate at Nestlé infant cereals by a 2 ply BOPP structure is a good example of the above.

You will be speaking at AMI’s plastics industry expos in the US in November, could you give us a preview on what you will be talking about?

Aldo will be on the panel discussing 'the future for flexible packaging' at the Plastic Extrusion World Expo Conference 2022.