Growing demand for API’s Transmet film free laminate

API’s film free laminate option for paperboard packaging, Transmet, has all the benefits of traditional metallised polyester carton board laminates, but without the film content and is recyclable through normal waste streams. It, thus, allows brands to reduce their environmental impact without compromising on stand-out shelf appeal.

API Group surveyed a cross section of brand managers and designers about their attitudes towards plastic and sustainability in packaging. Almost 90 percent of respondents believed that sustainability in packaging would be important or very important over the next 12 months and 51.4 percent believed it to be very important.

The results also revealed that 72.9 percent see the introduction of sustainable features and packaging to their products as an opportunity for growth, with more than half (51.4 percent) already creating packaging with sustainable features.

With brands increasing their focus on recyclability, Transmet has grown to become API’s largest product line for laminated paper and board across the UK, Europe and Americas, with 2017 proving to be a record-breaking year.

Pioneered at API’s Amsterdam site in the 1980s, significant investment over the last five years has seen the firm’s Transmet capabilities increase across the Group, with its Stockport site now the major European hub for the finished product.

Richard Burhouse, commercial director at API, said: ‘This significant shift in focus in the retail and packaging industry meant 2017 was the busiest year yet for our Transmet film-free laminate. 

Its development has been driven by increasing demand for a high quality film-free finish that provides brand owners with a fully recyclable end product which still offers shelf appeal to customers.

We’ve used our industry expertise and technology to create a vertically integrated platform which can service our customers globally.’

The Transmet process involves the lamination of a special PET film, which is then removed, leaving a deposit of aluminium on the surface of the board.

API produces a wide range of laminate finishes including Holographic Transmet which enables brands to select the laminate style and effect that adds unique visual impact to their product’s packaging.

In addition to its green credentials, benefits of Transmet also include a high level of gloss finish, no risk of delamination and it is flexible enough to be used to metalise thin paper without curling.

‘We are extremely proud of our Transmet film free laminate and are committed to continued development of packaging enhancement systems that provide stand-out shelf appeal while being safer for the planet,’ Burhouse concluded.