Sustainability Without Compromise: How Coextrusion Blow Molding Technology Helps Meet New Packaging Regulations

Environmental regulations are changing the packaging industry.

Around the world, governments, brand owners, and consumers are demanding increased use of recycled materials in plastic packaging. Many regulations now require minimum levels of post-consumer recycled (PCR) content in containers, creating new challenges for blow molders and packaging manufacturers.

While the objective is clear, the implementation is often more complicated.

Processors must find ways to incorporate recycled material while maintaining the appearance, performance, and consistency their customers expect. For many applications, simply replacing virgin resin with recycled material can introduce variability in color, surface finish, and material properties.

This is where multilayer coextrusion technology is becoming increasingly important.

Uniloy’s Coex 3-Layer Head technology was developed specifically to address this challenge. The system produces containers with a three-layer structure consisting of virgin material on the inside and outside surfaces, while incorporating PCR material within the middle layer.

The result is a container that maintains the appearance, functionality, and performance of a traditional package while significantly increasing the use of recycled content.

By placing PCR in the core layer, processors can meet sustainability goals and emerging regulatory requirements without compromising product quality. The technology also delivers stable and consistent layer distribution, helping ensure repeatable production performance.

To support production flexibility, Uniloy engineers have also developed a specialized coating option that can significantly reduce color change times – an important advantage for processors managing multiple products and frequent changeovers.

Perhaps most importantly, this technology is not limited to new equipment. Uniloy’s Coex 3-Layer technology is available in multiple sizes and configurations and can also be retrofitted onto existing machines, allowing processors to adapt their current assets to evolving environmental requirements.

As sustainability regulations continue to expand, manufacturers will need practical solutions that balance environmental responsibility with operational performance. Coextrusion technology provides a pathway to achieving both objectives – enabling increased PCR usage while delivering the high-quality containers customers expect.

The future of sustainable packaging will not be defined simply by using more recycled material. It will be defined by using it intelligently.

To learn how coextrusion technology and PCR integration can support your sustainability initiatives while maintaining container performance, contact the Turner Group team to discuss your blow molding application.