A new recycle-ready bag-in-box packaging for water has been launched in Australia by food and beverage packaging solutions provider SIG, incorporating a new mono-polymer composition that allows a shift away from using aluminium in the bag's structure.
SIG has been manufacturing bag-in-box packaging in Australia at its Adelaide facility for over 40 years, and is the only bag-in-box manufacturer producing this type of bag in Australia. Its operation, which employs 165 full-time staff, is vertically integrated with the capability to injection mould fitments, extrude and laminate film, and manufacture bags.
The new bag-in-box packaging marks a step change for sustainable packaging in the bulk water market. The bag's current structure, which contains aluminum, will be replaced by SIG Terra RecShield, a proprietary material structure made from a mono polyethylene (PE) polymer, which SIG says is sourced in Australia. This means that all components of the bag-in-box packaging are now recycle-ready, based on the European CEFLEX guidelines.
The SIG bag-in-box is designed to fit any container size or shape, giving brands the flexibility to fill many volumes with a variety of fitments on the same filling machine. The new design reduces the overall plastics use compared to rigid alternatives such as PET water bottles.
This development is in line with the Australian 2025 National Packaging Targets, and broader industry guidelines for sustainable packaging design.
Carmen Houston, ANZ Head of Marketing & Sustainability at SIG told PKN, “We are committed to supplying our customers in ANZ with packaging options that meet the recycle-ready criteria. SIG Terra RecShield is a development project that includes solutions in all the channels we service. Later this year we intend to launch recycle-ready bags for wine and syrup, rounding out with applications for spouted pouches, food service and industrial in the first half of 2025.”
Houston said SIG has been working with the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) who oversee the implementation of the Australian 2025 National Packaging Targets.
Commenting on the recyclability of the bag, Houston said, “Our bag-in-box packaging for water has been assessed through the Packaging Recyclability Evaluation Portal (PREP) tool as ‘Check Locally’ and consumers can check the ARL website for kerbside and drop-off services specific to each council area in Australia.”
“Our Australian-based research and development team have achieved a significant milestone in advancing packaging technology,” she said.
The new bag-in-box water packaging is now commercially available and consumers should begin to see it on supermarket shelves in mid to late September.
