Avantium N.V., a frontrunner in renewable and circular polymer materials, has entered into a joint development agreement with Amcor Rigid Packaging USA, LLC, a leader in responsible packaging solutions. This collaboration aims to investigate the application of Avantium’s plant-based polymer, PEF—marketed as releaf®—in the production of rigid containers tailored for an array of sectors, including food and drink packaging, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, and personal care products.
As part of this agreement, Amcor has pledged a multi-year capacity reservation for PEF, sourced from a future industrial-scale production facility, leveraging a technology license granted by Avantium. This arrangement secures Amcor preferential access to PEF volumes generated by Avantium’s future licensee network.
Avantium has engineered a proprietary process technology to manufacture FDCA (furandicarboxylic acid), the essential building block for PEF (polyethylene furanoate). The company is on track to launch the world’s first commercial FDCA plant in Delfzijl, the Netherlands. This FDCA Flagship Plant is pivotal for Avantium’s licensing strategy, enabling the company to sell FDCA and PEF directly to customers while also providing technology licenses to industrial partners. Establishing a robust commercial demand is vital for attracting future licensing partners, and the capacity reservation agreement with Amcor showcases Avantium’s capability to effectively address this need.
Releaf® is a 100% plant-based, high-performance polymer easily integrated into existing PET (polyethylene terephthalate) recycling streams. It is recognized in the Critical Guidance Protocol from the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR), a widely accepted standard for evaluating recyclability in plastic packaging design. Furthermore, Releaf® boasts exceptional barrier properties that prolong the shelf life of food and beverages, elevated mechanical strength that minimizes material usage, and lower processing temperatures that reduce energy consumption compared to conventional fossil-based plastics. Additionally, with its reduced carbon footprint, Releaf® aligns with Amcor’s goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
“This partnership between Amcor and Avantium represents a significant step forward in advancing responsible packaging solutions. It combines Amcor’s expertise in innovative packaging with Avantium’s renewable and circular polymer releaf®. This partnership enhances our efforts to offer customers innovative packaging that is better for products, people, and the planet,” stated Terry Patcheak, Amcor’s vice president of research & development and program management excellence.
Bineke Posthumus, Commercial Director of Avantium Renewable Polymers, added, “This collaboration with Amcor underscores the increasing demand for releaf® in sustainable packaging solutions and supports our strategy for licensing our FDCA technology. We are excited to work with Amcor to bring releaf® to the market, providing consumers with high-performance, eco-friendly packaging solutions.”
