Sustainable, but also usable and affordable products : how Berry Global is pioneering sustainable innovations in agricultural films

AUTHOR : Melis ARIN, Product Marketing Manager, Berry Agriculture & Bart GEERAERT, Commercial Director, Berry Agriculture

Collecting more used agricultural plastics, improving the quality of recycled granules… these are the major challenges for the plasticulture of tomorrow. Berry, a major player in the market, gives us its point of view and reports on its efforts.

Berry Global agricultural business is adopting a circular approach in order to reduce plastic waste in the world. While much has already been achieved in the production, design and recycling of agricultural films, the company’s focus is on developing sustainable solutions that remain functional and affordable for customers.

The reuse of recycled plastics

Berry operates worldwide, supplying innovative packaging and technical products for 16 major end markets, including agriculture and horticulture. Around 100,000 different plastic products are produced across the group’s 265+ locations. “As a major player in plastic products, we feel a great responsibility to minimize product impacts on the environment”, says Andrew Green, CEO of Berry’s European flexible film business. “For Berry, this involves a focus on three major areas – products that are fully recyclable, the downgauging (light weighting) of products, and the incorporation of post-consumer recycled material. We have been active for years in reusing used plastic to make new products and are increasing the adoption of such materials in our manufacturing processes.”

“Our goal is to use at least 30% circular plastics in our products by 2025,” explains Tony Nawar, Vice President, Sustainability, Strategy, and Innovation. “The development of new sleeve packaging, bale wrap manufactured with patented technology (ProTechnology) and Sustane® bale wrap with a proportion of recycled material are all practical examples of how sustainability is taking centre stage in our business.”

Sustainability in agricultural films

Berry’s agriculture business supplies solutions for silage bales, silage sheets and grain bags. All these products are now benefitting from this focus on sustainability but equally important is to ensure that this is achieved without any compromise on overall performance.

With innovative ProTechnology, for example, Berry has succeeded in making agricultural films lighter and thinner, without affecting the quality of the film or the end results for farmers. Thinner films require less raw material, reduce the number of polymers used in production and can achieve up to 25% less film by weight than conventional films.

In addition, because the film is thinner, the rolls have more length, which means that fewer are needed to wrap the same number of bales. This may ensure less transport & storage, and eventually CO2-emissions.

Equally important, cardboard boxes for the transport of the bale wrap have been replaced by sleeve packaging. This brings forth use of less packaging material as well provides convenient recycling.  

Win win situation