In agricultural technology, precision and innovation are key to superior and effective products. In a collaboration with Netafim, Aran has achieved a remarkable feat – manufacturing the smallest bag they ever made, a crucial component of the revolutionary PULSAR system. This exceptional bag plays a pivotal role in providing precise and efficient water coverage for specific segments of Netafim’s agricultural products to protect crops from extreme weather events.

Aran’s Commitment to Innovation

At the core of Aran’s philosophy lies a commitment to pushing boundaries and designing solutions that meet the unique needs of their clients. The journey to create the PULSAR bag was not just about manufacturing a component; it was about understanding and addressing the specific challenges faced by growers in orchards, vineyards, and various plantations worldwide during extreme weather conditions

Yoram Engel, Netafim’s product manager, approached Aran with a unique idea – to develop a spring-like bag that could withstand pressure and function flawlessly in the PULSAR system. Aran embraced the challenge, displaying its ability to translate conceptual ideas into tangible, high-performing products.

The PULSAR System: Revolutionizing Agriculture

Netafim’s PULSAR system is a testament to agricultural ingenuity, providing growers with precise water distribution and efficiency. This innovation caters to diverse crop applications, offering protection against both extreme heat and frost event conditions. Aran’s contribution to this system is embodied in the specially crafted bag that plays a crucial role in the thermodynamic protection of crops. The bag’s role in the PULSAR system is to disperse water through controlled pulses, creating a protective coating of ice during frost event to prevent the plant from freezing and aiding in cooling through evaporation during heat waves. Agriculture in different climates requires this unique functionality.

Crafting the Perfect Bag

The journey to create the PULSAR bag was not without its challenges. Aran’s team, led by Yehuda Nahir, meticulously examined various options, materials, and structures until they found the perfect solution. “We are experts in developing bags that can keep the liquid inside, the challenge was to figure out what kind of bag can withstand prolonged water exposure and constant mechanical stress, it had to have high resistance to flex cracks”, says Yehuda. The final solution was based on the multi-layer composition and the same materials as Aran’s bag “SuperFlex”. Six layers, combining plastic and metallization, were combined to achieve the necessary flexibility and durability. This small yet mighty bag, measuring just 4 cm in width and a 20 cm in length, undergoes millions of pulses before replacement is necessary.

The Collaboration’s Success

The collaboration between Aran and Netafim exemplifies the power of innovation and industry collaboration. Aran’s expertise in plastic engineering and material science, coupled with Netafim’s precision agricultural prowess, has resulted in a game-changing product that benefits growers worldwide. The PULSAR bag is a crucial component in Netafim’s mission to provide water and energy-efficient solutions for sustainable agriculture and preventing crop damage during extreme weather events.

Aran’s journey with Netafim displays the company’s ability to rise to challenges, innovate, and create specialized products that have a profound impact on the agricultural landscape. The PULSAR bag stands as a symbol of Aran’s commitment to excellence and capacity to contribute to transformative solutions in diverse industries.

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Everyone knows the simple mathematical rule that if you multiply two negative numbers you get a positive one. However, in real life, finding two disadvantages giving a distinct advantage is rare. Such a case can be found in recycling. This case illustrates a way to take two types of post-consumer waste, which require a significant effort to recycle alone and create high-quality, innovative raw materials, that reduce landfilling and support a circular economy.

The challenges in PCR of plastic films for agriculture waste

The Roded company specializes in recycling agricultural plastic waste. “Post-consumer agricultural waste is one of the most difficult plastic wastes to recycle.  These greenhouses cover and mulch PE films, exposed to dirt, sand, and dust. Changes in the temperature, during day and night, winter and summer, also contribute to the polymer’s cycles of shrinking and expanding and the penetration of microscopic-level pollutants into the polymer. In addition, the films undergo prolonged exposure to pesticide materials as well as to solar radiation. These cause unwanted phenomena in the polymer such as degradation, cross-linking, loss of elasticity, and making the polymer brittle. This damage reflects on the polymer MFI: the original MFI values are 4-6, while the PCR material reaches much lower MFI values, 1 or less.

Washing and mechanical dry-cleaning improve the results, but it is still necessary to add flow enhancers or lubricants in the form of paraffin oil or PE-based wax to the recycling process. Despite that, the recycled material remains with a problematic melt flow that limits its applications, especially in pressing and injection manufacturing. It is possible to increase the temperature to improve the melt flow, but recycled materials are more thermally sensitive, and tend to degradation.

The challenges in recycling laminate waste that contains various polymers as well as metallization

Another waste that is difficult to recycle is laminate. These films consist of a combination of different polymers, PE and PA or PET, which are not compatible, and recycling them together is challenging. The addition of an aluminum layer to the film will cause it to end up in landfills or energy recovery as an end-of-life solution. “These films are part of the BIB (Bag In Box) that we manufacture at Aran”, says Lior Mor, CEO of Aran Group “We reduce their use, but for some food products, they are necessary. As part of our commitment to recycling and circular economy, we invest efforts to find an environmentally friendly end-of-life solution for these types of films, whether it is industrial waste from the production processes of organizations, or post-consumer waste.”

What happens when you combine agricultural plastic film waste with metalized laminate waste from the BIB processes?

An innovative collaboration between Aran and Roded led to finding a creative solution to the challenges faced by each of the companies individually. Significant development work has revealed that combining the two different types of waste and recycling them together produces an improved raw material. An in-depth study revealed that the low-level aluminum from the metalized films has a positive effect on the melt flow of the material and acts as a flow enhancer as well as a reinforced material that contributes to the final product. It is in patent-pending processes and initial pilot facilities already exist at Roded’s factory in Israel. It relies on unique cleaning, shredding, processing, and manufacturing technologies, including mold design with release mechanisms of volatile materials generated in the recycling process.

From agricultural waste and laminates to industrial pallets

“Reusable plastic pallets, produced by pressing, are an ideal application for these recycled materials”, says Eitan. “They replace the wood pallets which are commonly used in the industry. They are less susceptible to contamination and the fact they are produced from recycled material is a significant advantage.”

Compared to wooden pallets the plastic ones are lighter and more durable. “Thanks to the use of recycled raw material, we manage to maintain the same price level. This is the first pallet that presents a negative carbon footprint. This product presents advantages even when comparing it to pallets made of virgin plastic. The recycled material contains inherent foaming which lowers its density and enables more energy-efficient logistical transportation. Moreover, the product has improved mechanical strength, and it does not require metallic reinforcement.”

The carrying capacity of the pallet is 4 tons when placed on the ground and 1.2 tons when stored on high shelves. Thus far, thousands of pallets have been produced. All are safe for secondary packaging of food products.

What does the future hold? Establishing a reverse logistics system to collect post-consumer BIB waste. The next step of this project is to recycle post-consumer BIB waste. “We intend to collect the outer bag of the packaging, which does not come in direct contact with the food. This layer is the massive one, and it’s about 70% of the weight of the entire plastic packaging,” says Luis Hernandez, CEO of Aran Europe. “Aran group will lead the establishment of a reverse logistics system for collecting PCR BIB from its customers. We are submitting the project to the European Union’s Horizon program and hope to bring positive change in the field of sustainable BIB”, he concludes.

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Come summer, the time for harvesting the “Love Apple,” better known as tomatoes, arrives. This beloved fruit takes hold of our kitchens in all forms and is an ingredient in many recipes. Aran, a company specializing in the production of aseptic bags for liquid packaging, plays a crucial role in supporting this culinary phenomenon. These bags are precision-crafted solutions specially tailored for packaging tomato products. Let us discover the innovative measures taken by the company to ensure the freshness and quality of tomatoes from field to table.

The Global Tomato Processing Calendar

Tomato processing is a global affair, with different regions engaging in the activity at various times of the year. In the northern hemisphere, particularly in Europe, California, and the East, the tomato-processing season starts in July. Across the equator, countries like Chile, Argentina, and Brazil harvest and process their tomato in mid-February. This seamless rotation ensures the year-round availability of tomatoes worldwide, and it is within this continuous cycle that Aran’s expertise in tomato product packaging becomes indispensable for maintaining the global supply of this beloved fruit throughout the year.

Diverse Customer Base

Tomatoes operate in a fast-paced world where harvesting, processing, and packing occur within a single day. Many tomatoes are not destined for fresh consumption; instead, they undergo processing to meet the demands of the culinary world, transforming them into diced, minced, crushed, and pastes. Aran caters to a diverse clientele, offering bags tailored for industrial use (55 and 300 gallons) and the food service industry (varying from five to 20 liters). Renowned brands like MUTTI, Heinz, KAGOME, Campbell’s, and others actively seek Aran’s packaging solutions.

In the food service sector, Aran provides a wide variety of options to meet the needs of end customers. These options include different types of fitments and seals, such as screw caps and temper evident seals, as well as barriers with varying permeability levels—ranging from standard barriers to enhanced barriers, ensuring less than 0.5 CC per m³ for 24 hours.

For industrial use, the end application varies, Aran’s range includes mechanically reinforced bags suitable for extraction from the barrel while full, as well as thinner bags that can be emptied without pulling them out of the barrel. Aran’s unique products, Super Flex and Premium Flex, offer varying levels of oxygen resistance and can endure significant logistics transport distances — 6000 km and 8000 km respectively — without succumbing to flex cracks, addressing diverse industrial needs.

Adapting to Environmental Demands

Aran has seamlessly integrated sustainability into every facet of its operations. The company introduces 300-gallon products with adaptations that align with recycling requirements. Through a strategic transition from recycling code 7 to code 4 and increased utilization of less than 5% EVOH layers over traditional metalized layers, the use of mono materials and fewer colors Aran actively contributes to a more environmentally friendly approach.

Aran’s Global Presence and Impact

In the realm of tomato processing, Aran stands as the third-largest packaging manufacturer globally, serving clients on every continent and distributing tens of millions of aseptic bags annually. Collaborating with 11 of the largest tomato manufacturers worldwide, the company provides a significant portion of the packaging solutions, contributing to a market share that has notably grown in the last five years. With local production capabilities in Spain and the USA, proximity to customers ensures enhanced availability and service.

In a world where the love for tomatoes transcends borders, Aran’s commitment to innovation and environmental sustainability in tomato product packaging is truly noteworthy. As the company continues to grow its market share and adapt to changing demands, it remains a key player in shaping the future of tomato processing.

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In a noteworthy move towards sustainability, Aran Group, a prominent manufacturer of bag-in-box solutions, is delighted to announce the successful acquisition of a majority stake in IBA Germany from Liquid Concept GmbH (LC). This strategic venture not only signifies a pivotal moment in Aran’s growth trajectory but also underscores their commitment to sustainable packaging solutions. The focus of the acquisition lies in furthering the development of 1000-liter IBCs (Intermediate Bulk Containers), aligning with Aran’s dedication to eco-friendly practices.

Managing Director Dan Abraham, together with Sascha Siebel, COO & Chief Engineer, leads the Aran-IBA operation. Siebel, a global expert in bag-in-box (BIB) and sustainable food packaging, brings innovative solutions to the forefront of the fruit preparation industry.

A leap toward sustainable practices

Lior Mor, CEO of Aran Group, expressed his enthusiasm about the acquisition: “This marks a tremendous leap forward for Aran and IBA in terms of sustainable practices. With the board’s unwavering support, we are poised to achieve significant milestones in responsible packaging solutions. IBA is now officially part of the Aran Group, and we anticipate this move will further strengthen our sustainable footprint in Europe.”

Dan Abraham, elaborating on the acquisition’s sustainability advantages, stated, “This strategic move positions Aran as a significant player in 1000-liter aseptic packaging solutions for transporting sensitive food products. Our partnership with IBA not only solidifies our presence in Germany but also offers an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional stainless-steel containers.”

Sustainable aseptic packaging solution for sensitive food products

The cornerstone of this collaboration is IBA’s flagship product, the IBA Tainer aseptic IBC. This patented 1000-liter container, designed for liquid food transport, incorporates a protective cage and a disposable flexible bag. Not only does it present a cost-effective substitute to conventional containers, but it also ensures an aseptic environment, eliminating the need for resource-intensive washing and sterilization processes. Beyond its economic advantages, the IBA Tainer significantly reduces energy consumption throughout the entire value chain, aligning with Aran’s commitment to sustainability.

The acquisition marks Aran as a key player in the European market

The Aran-IBA partnership, spanning a decade, has been instrumental in mutual growth. The acquisition of IBA positions Aran as a key player in the European market, specifically Germany, where the bag-in-box market generates substantial revenue. This move enables Aran to export IBA’s sustainable products beyond Germany, leveraging its global network and the innovative IBA Tainer.

As Aran and IBA’s combined capabilities and sustainable technology converge, the industry can anticipate substantial growth in the years to come. This acquisition not only advances the fruit preparation sector but also underscores the collective commitment towards sustainable packaging solutions.

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Anyone familiar with bag-in-box (BIB) packaging understands its revolutionary impact on the food and beverage market, changing the transportation and storage of liquid products globally and, reducing costs, energy consumption, and enhancing product shelf life. With 40 years of BIB experience, Aran Group seized the opportunity to extend its success into the medical industry during the COVID-19 pandemic. This led to a strategic partnership with BioPharmax, a prominent international Engineering and Consulting company specializing in services for the pharmaceutical and Biopharmaceutical industries. The collaboration resulted in the establishment of Aran Biotech, a company poised to address the complex packaging needs of the medical industry.

Aran’s extensive experience in creative solutions for the food industry, including unique film formulation and bag sealing techniques, combined seamlessly with BioPharmax’s expertise in project management and clean room establishment. This partnership established Aran Biotech, allowing the first time to bring groundbreaking BIB solutions to the pharmaceutical industry.

Lior Mor, CEO of the Aran Group, emphasized their initial involvement, providing top engineers and ongoing support during Aran Biotech’s developmental phase. He also spoke of their ongoing role “Despite the company’s growth and autonomy, Aran Group continues to play a vital role, offering laboratories for development and quality tests and maintaining a close relationship between the companies”.

Eran Kuratz, CEO of Aran Biotech, highlighted the company’s pivotal role in the expansive field of medicine, which surpasses the food industry’s turnover by threefold, “Aran Biotech contributes to this growth by providing advanced packaging solutions, offering lightweight disposable options that minimize fossil fuel usage”.

From ISO 13485 certification for quality assurance to a diversified range of Single-Use Systems, Aran Biotech prioritizes quality and innovation. The success of 2D Bags and the introduction of 3D Bags in various sizes display the company’s commitment to accelerating production, reducing costs, and providing tailored solutions for the medical, biotech, and food tech industries.

Venturing into the food-tech sector, Aran Biotech maintains its connection with Aran, serving as a reliable supplier of films. This collaboration exemplifies the adaptability and synergy between the pharmaceutical and food sectors.

Aran Biotech stands as a testament to strategic partnerships and calculated growth. The collaboration between Aran Group and BioPharmax has not only redefined industry standards but also positioned Aran Biotech as a reliable player in the dynamic landscape of Single-Use Systems, contributing to the future of medical, biotech, and food tech industries.

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Premium Flex BIB – First Generation: Improved Logistical Distance / Environmentally Friendly / Supreme Food Safety

In early 2021, Aran Group introduced the world to Premium Flex BIB – first generation, a groundbreaking solution that elevated sustainability, practicality, and food safety to new heights. Since this innovative BIB presents dramatic improvement in the logistical distance of the packed product and uncompromising food safety, it quickly gained recognition as a trailblazing solution.

The first-generation Premium Flex bag was engineered to prevent Flex Crack, an issue frequently encountered in long-distance liquid food transportation. Its distinct green color and yellow fitment made it easily recognizable and user-friendly.

Premium Flex – Second Generation:  Metalized Layers Eliminated / Revolutionary Barrier Mechanism / Exceptional Logistical Transport

Building on the success of its predecessor, Aran Group is going to launch in the beginning of 2024 the Premium Flex 2.0, a fully recyclable solution for long-distance transportation of liquid foods.

The most significant innovation in the Premium Flex 2.0 is the elimination of metalized layers. This advanced solution relies solely on a thin layer of EVOH, less than 5%, making it a mono-material packaging that can be fully recycled in the PE recycling stream. It supports logistical transport according to the internal lab test distances of up to 8,000 km, whether by sea, land, or air, a remarkable improvement compared to other bags that allow only 2,000 km.

The traditional solutions for preventing flex cracks require additional materials and packaging operations to fill the empty space in the barrels. However, those solutions do not completely solve the problem. Moreover, the extra packaging materials, such as foamed PS, it is not the best in term of Food Safety Regulation.

Premium Flex 2.0 addresses this challenge with superior effectiveness, eliminating the need for extra packaging and reducing waste. Weighing less than 500 grams per 220-liter bag and composed of four distinct layers, Premium Flex 2.0 offers a unique composition that ensures flexibility and durability for the entire package. This revolutionary product continues to uphold Aran Group’s unwavering commitment to sustainability, setting new industry standards in the fight against flex cracks, and promoting a cleaner, more environmentally responsible future.

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In an increasingly eco-conscious world, Aran Group is actively contributing by manufacturing Bag-in-Box (BIB) packaging solutions, recognized as the most eco-friendly packaging choice. These solutions apply to various liquid foods including milk products and liquid eggs, offering sustainable alternatives that stand in stark contrast to rigid plastic packaging. They ensure secure long-distance transport and contribute to reduced energy consumption by facilitating non-cooling transportation and featuring lighter packaging designs.

Sustainable BIB Solutions for Dairy Products: A Step Towards Environmental Responsibility

With a focus on fluid dairy products such as milk, yogurt, cream, and butter, Aran has packaging options in 5, 10, 15, and 20 liters, catering to the wholesale market, including restaurants, hotels, and large kitchens. Also available in 1000-liter packages per request. These packages are fully recyclable, lightweight, and mono-material bags, replacing bulkier, less eco-friendly alternatives such as rigid plastic packaging. Aran’s BIB solutions can be recycled in the common PE recycling streams since the barrier layer is not metalized and is based on less than 5% EVOH.

Innovative Filling Processes for Aseptic Quality

Diverse BIB solutions cater to varying dairy product needs, shelf-life goals, and storage conditions. For short-term refrigerated storage (2-3 weeks), PE-based bags are ideal, offering full recyclability. For an extended 12-week shelf life without refrigeration, aseptic BIB bags with oxygen barriers are recommended. For this application, the filing process should be in a clean atmosphere environment. This technology serves as a popular solution, particularly in North America. For a longer shelf life of 6 months at room temperature, UHT (Ultra High Temperature) technology is applied. This requires the use of aseptic filling processes using specific equipment.

Effortless Product Dispensing with Tailored Fitments

Aran offers the flexibility of choosing the perfect fitment for your bag, ensuring the convenience of product emptying aligns with consumer preferences. Fitment options include regular pouring caps, suitable for one-time and repeated opening and closing. These caps can be obtained with or without proof of an opening mechanism. Additionally, Aran provides accessories like the Aran CMB, compatible with various dispensers. The CMB not only includes the right cap but also a dedicated tube, allowing a clean, gradual, and controlled product emptying process while safeguarding against impurities.

Catering to Global Filling and Dispensing Needs

Aran caters to a wide array of filling and dispensing machines worldwide. Their extensive experience spans over a decade, working closely with LACTALIS, one of the world’s largest dairy product manufacturers. They provide tailored solutions to various countries where LACTALIS operates, exemplifying their global reach and expertise

Cutting Plastic Waste with Milkit Partnership

One example of Aran’s commitment to sustainability is its partnership with Milkit, a dispensing system revolutionizing liquid handling. This collaboration has had a remarkable environmental impact, replaced traditional plastic jugs, and achieved an impressive 85% reduction in waste. By harnessing Aran’s innovative bags, this eco-conscious solution has the potential to save over 1 billion plastic jugs annually.

Enhancing Hygiene and Efficiency with BIBs in the Liquid Egg Industry

Bag-in-Box (BIB) packaging offers a sustainable packaging solution to the liquid egg market, for hygiene and contamination-free work environments. These liquid egg packages, range from common 5, 10, and 20-liter sizes to 1000-liter containers. An example of that is Aran’s 1000-liter IBC package is used by Unilever for mayonnaise production.

Unlike dairy products, liquid eggs do not undergo high-temperature aseptic sterilization. Instead, dedicated pasteurization equipment gently heats them to 65 degrees Celsius. Since eggs are considered sensitive products, they have a limited shelf life of up to 90 days, requiring refrigeration, and occasionally necessitating aseptic bag usage due to regulatory compliance.

To grasp the profound impact of BIB packaging in the liquid egg market, it’s essential to remember the conventional alternatives. In the past, liquid eggs were poured into regular PE bags or rigid plastic bottles and then subjected to freezing at minus 18 degrees Celsius. This process presented challenges, with the outer parts of the liquid eggs exposed to rapid defrosting while the core remained frozen. The introduction of BIB packaging a few decades ago transformed the industry, rendering the freezing of liquid eggs obsolete.

BIB packaging offers a range of fitments, including standard pouring caps for one-time use or resealing, with options for proof of opening mechanisms. Additionally, caps with “pop-out” spouts provide added flexibility, accommodating various consumer needs and preferences.

Aran’s Strategic Advantages: Delivering Sustainable Solutions Efficiently

Aran Group’s sustainable BIB solutions are augmented by their strategic advantages. With manufacturing facilities in Israel, Spain, and the USA, Aran ensures proximity to major markets, providing quick responses, technical support, and speedy deliveries. This proximity significantly reduces the carbon footprint associated with transportation, aligning with Aran’s commitment to sustainability. By being close to their customers and manufacturing locally, Aran ensures a seamless process from production to delivery, meeting market demands efficiently and sustainably.

Aran’s Sustainable Legacy

As the world moves towards a more sustainable future, Aran Group offers innovation and responsibility in the packaging industry. Their BIB solutions not only revolutionize packaging but also emphasize environmental consciousness. By reducing waste, embracing recyclability, and providing efficient, localized service, Aran Group sets a high standard for sustainability, showcasing a responsible and forward-thinking approach that the industry can and should embrace.

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In a world where innovation constantly shapes industries, the wine sector has seen a transformative packaging solution that is redefining convenience, sustainability, and taste preservation: Bag-in-Box (BIB) packaging. The BIB format offers an array of benefits that are becoming increasingly apparent to both producers and consumers. It ensures wines maintain quality, reduces environmental impact, and provides consumers with a user-friendly and cost-effective way to enjoy their favorite vintages.

Challenges in Wine Filling with Bag-in-Box

However, the adoption of any packaging method comes with its own set of challenges, and the BIB approach is no exception. The process of filling wine into these bags necessitates specialized equipment and materials to ensure that the product remains untainted and fresh. Maintaining the integrity of the wine during the filling process, particularly for premium and delicate varieties, demands meticulous attention to detail to prevent oxidation, contamination, and other factors that could compromise the wine’s characteristics.

Innovative Solutions by Aran: Pioneering the Future of BIB for Wines

Amid the complexities of BIB packaging for wines, emerges Aran, leveraging a rich history and expertise that spans 25 years in the industry. From its roots in Israel to the heart of Spain’s wine country, Aran has been producing wine bags that exceed traditional standards. With a strategic factory in the Valladolid region, Aran’s presence in the wine industry took a leap forward in 2010, enabling it to cater to Portugal, Spain, France, and Italy – the classical heart of European winemaking.

Aran’s commitment to innovation is highlighted by two products that set new benchmarks in the realm of BIB for wines. The first, a wine bag fortified with Superflex film, elevates durability and ensures wines can withstand the rigors of transportation and storage. The bag’s high resistance to wear and tear enables it to endure journeys exceeding 4,000 kilometers without any compromise in quality.

The second product, oxygen scavenger-infused wine bags, showcases Aran’s dedication to preserving the freshness of wines. By minimizing the dissolved oxygen content in the wine, these bags extend shelf life, enhancing the overall drinking experience. Notably, Aran’s oxygen scavenging technology can add two extra months to a wine’s shelf life compared to standard bags. This innovation not only retains the wine’s characteristics but also prevents oxygen from infiltrating the bag and affecting the wine’s flavor profile.

As Aran forges ahead, it continues to work closely with its customers, including esteemed wineries like Delicato in California. With its operations spanning across the Atlantic, Aran USA in South Carolina contributes to its global reach. The company’s dedication to delivering high-quality, efficient, and sustainable packaging solutions has firmly positioned it as a market leader and a key driver of the future of wine packaging.

Beyond Bottles: Aran’s Bag-in-Box Redefines Wine Packaging

The evolution of Bag-in-Box packaging for wines epitomizes the fusion of tradition and innovation. Aran’s steadfast commitment to pushing the boundaries of this packaging format has propelled the wine industry towards quality, convenience, and sustainability. As wine enthusiasts around the world seek ever-more exceptional tasting experiences, Aran’s innovative solutions stand ready to meet and exceed their expectations, redefining the very essence of how wines are packaged and enjoyed.

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Flexible packaging made of plastic offers numerous advantages, such as its lightweight nature, cost-effectiveness, and versatility in design. However, these packages are typically made from a blend of polymers, which makes their after-use recycling difficult in most cases, or highly challenging. As a leading producer of flexible packaging solutions, Aran is committed to sustainability and taking tremendous steps toward providing end-of-life solutions to face this situation.

Downgauging for Reduced Plastic Usage

One of the most important solutions that Aran employs is downgauging of the flexible packaging. This process involves reducing the thickness of the film while ensuring it maintains the necessary properties to be efficient and withstand storing and transportation. “Our extensive knowledge of polymer materials enables us to achieve this without compromising the packaging’s mechanical properties. We utilize alternative materials made from renewable sources and recycled materials with food-grade standards. All of our product range is available using this bio-polymer alternative, thus providing packaging solutions with a lower carbon footprint to protect the environment”, says Aran R&D manager Yehuda Nahir.  

Mono Materials for Enhanced Recyclability

Aran has also made significant strides in designing mono materials packaging. By simplifying the composition of the material, Aran has departed from traditional packaging that relied on multi-layers and metalized polyester. “Previous film structure incorporated a thick EVOH barrier layer with or without nylon, which made recycling not possible. Now we focus on the development of co-extruded products containing only PE and a thin layer of EVOH (less than 5%). This composition enables the bags to be recycled at the PE recycling stream, which can be found almost everywhere on the globe”, says Gil Yanai, Plastics Engineer and Sustainability Implementation manager at Aran Products. This move aligns with market demands for recyclable products and opens new possibilities for recycling facilities. Aran has also taken steps to reduce the use of colors and eliminate carbon black from its packaging. Preference is given to transparent or light colors, as carbon black poses challenges for waste sorting facilities, and causes failure in identifying types of polymers. Another important change to promote sustainability is regarding not the film design but the attached tap. Aran has transitioned to using only low and high-density PE for all taps. In addition, we eliminate the use of artificial colors and use the polymers’ neutral colors. This change facilitates easier recycling as both bags and taps are made of the same material and can be recycled together.

Compostable Additives and Recycled PET

A groundbreaking project was done in collaboration with Midori Bio. Aran Incorporated an additive in the PE formula of their bags, enabling composting of the traditional polymer. This additive, distinct from OXO, allows bacteria in compost environments to break down the material and turn it into bio during landfilling. This project is currently undergoing testing to ensure both bag quality and bag compostability. Aran is also actively exploring the use of recycled PET through chemical recycling methods in its bags.

Recycling PIR and PCR with Roded

Efforts to minimize factory waste get priority. Starting in 2023, in collaboration with Roded, a company specializing in creating pallets through press molding that developed a technique to clean both post-industrial and post-consumer waste. Aran began the process of recycling all of their laminates post-industrial waste. Trials for this project have proven successful and thus Aran has introduced this innovative solution to one of their clients for testing. If successful, Aran plans to offer this end-of-life treatment solution, promoting sustainable practices and recycling options for its products. With Roded, Aran has found recycling solutions for both post-industrial and post-consumer waste.

Incorporating Chemically Recycled Materials

Despite the higher costs involved, our company offers a sustainable approach to manufacturing by utilizing films made from food approved chemically recycled material. While this might not be the conventional choice for liquid food manufacturers, we are committed to environmental responsibility and reducing our carbon footprint. By using films from recycled materials, we can provide a greener solution for the majority of our products. Although it comes at a premium, we believe that investing in eco-friendly practices is essential for a healthier planet and a better future.

Aran’s Sustainable Initiatives

We are dedicated to decreasing our carbon footprint through all of the value chains and improving overall sustainability. By implementing innovative solutions such as downgauging, mono materials, compostable additives, incorporating recycled materials, and actively reducing the use of disposables in our logistical department by reusing cardboard boxes, utilizing reusable plastic boxes, and gradually shifting to non-disposable materials for packaging and transportation. Aran strives to be at the forefront of sustainable packaging practices. Aran displays its commitment to minimizing environmental impact and fostering a more sustainable future through these initiatives.

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