TIPA (Hod Hasharon / Israel; www.tipa-corp.com) and Jindal Films Europe (Windhof / Luxembourg; www.jindalfilms.com) have signed an agreement to jointly develop a disposable and recyclable film for use in food packaging. The film is meant for the snack food industry, dairy and meat products, frozen food, coffee and tea markets. TIPA has seven years of experience developing high-end, bio-based compostable films. Jindal possesses speciality technology in coating films to create diverse barrier films for various applications.

The collaboration will enable “for the first time ever, mutual research resulting in new bio-based, compostable high barrier films for a wider range of applications,” said Yifat Bareket, TIPA's chief technology officer. It addresses the multi-material and laminate markets, where viable reuse is currently not available.

Separately, Jindal Films Americas (JFA, Atlanta, Georgia / USA; www.jindalfilms.com) announced preliminary plans to invest around USD 120m to build a new polyester plant at its US manufacturing site in LaGrange, Georgia. Start-up is expected in early 2019. The facility, with capacity penciled in at 65,000 t/y, will produce both thin and thick speciality films. Jindal said a similar expansion into polyester films is being considered in Europe. It did not provide details.

JFA unveiled a new metalliser in LaGrange, part of a previously announced plan to relocate and expand its Georgia facilities – see Plasteurope.com of 18.12.2015. The current expansion project is expected to be completed by Q1 2018, doubling the current film capacity of the Americas division.

Jindal has also recently announced the investment in a further expansion of its metallising capabilities in Brindisi / Italy – see Plasteurope.com of 26.04.2017 – and an additional line at its Belgian site – see Plasteurope.com of 06.03.2017.