Embossed, Label-Free PLA Water Bottle Design Simplifies Circularity

Removing labels from bottles is emerging as a practical way to improve recycling efficiency and a new embossed PLA water bottle shows how design choices can directly support circular packaging systems.

A label-free beverage bottle developed for the South Korean market uses embossed branding to replace conventional labels, eliminating one of the main obstacles to efficient bottle recycling. By integrating brand identification directly into the bottle wall, the design allows bottles to enter recycling streams without additional processing, supporting cleaner material flows and higher-quality recycled output.

The embossed approach preserves shelf recognition and visual appeal, while avoiding the need for manual label removal—supporting both operational efficiency and material purity in recycling processes.

The bottle is designed to integrate into a closed-loop PLA recycling system established by #TotalEnergiesCorbion and Sansu (i’m eco). Post-consumer bottles are collected, pre-processed, and chemically recycled via hydrolysis, breaking #PLA down into its original building block lactic acid monomer—which is then reused to produce new recycled #Luminy® PLA (rPLA) with consistent material performance.

Made from Luminy® PLA, TotalEnergies Corbion’s #biobasedplastic designed for recycling and composting, the bottle demonstrates how material innovation and recycling infrastructure can be aligned to enable circular reuse at scale.

Recent independently verified #LifeCycleAssessment (LCA) results further support the environmental performance of this approach. According to the latest Luminy® PLA LCA, virgin PLA achieves a significantly lower carbon footprint compared with conventional plastics, while incorporating recycled PLA enables carbon-neutral and carbon-negative material options, depending on recycled content.

From early recycling trials in 2021 to the commercial launch of a label-free bottle today, the collaboration between TotalEnergies Corbion and Sansu (i’m eco) illustrates how front-end packaging design and back-end recycling innovation can be developed together to create scalable circular solutions.

Hao Ding, Global Marketing Director at TotalEnergies Corbion said: “As markets increasingly focus on recyclability, carbon performance, and consumer acceptance, this project demonstrates the potential of PLA-based solutions to meet functional requirements while supporting broader circular economy objectives—without compromising brand recognition or industrial performance.

source : TotalEnergies Corbion

Ultrasuede™ Partners with British Furniture Brand "Case"

Toray Industries, Inc. is pleased to announce that its Ultrasuede™ has been adopted as the upholstery for the "Ella Lounge" and "675 Chair," two bestselling models from the British furniture brand Case.

Founded in London in 2005, #CaseFurniture is highly regarded for delivering exceptional designs of high quality. Through collaborations with renowned designers and skilled manufacturers, the brand creates furniture characterized by creative and sophisticated simplicity. By combining cutting-edge technology with advanced manufacturing techniques and never compromising on design detail or product quality, Case Furniture continues to produce world-class designs.

The #Ultrasuede adopted combines #polyester polymerized with Ethylene glycol derived from #wastemolasses of sugarcane and Polyurethane composed of polyol made of #castoroil from non-edible castor-oil plant. The ratio of plant-based raw materials is approximately 30%. Ultrasuede, made from non-fossil-based materials, was highly evaluated for its ability to perfectly complement the sophisticated simplicity of Case Furniture.

30% plant-based in keeping with ISO 16620-1 3.1.5 biobased synthetic polymer content standard

By being featured in Case’s product lineup, Ultrasuede provides a refined experience for users while contributing to the reduction of CO2 emissions compared to conventional petroleum-based polyester Ultrasuede.

To further expand the Ultrasuede business in Europe, #Toray opened a new Ultrasuede showroom in #Portugal in January 2026. The adoption of the material by Case is part of a strategic initiative to enhance Toray's presence in the European #interior market and establish a meticulous support system through local operations. Moving forward, Toray will continue to deepen partnerships with leading Europe-based interior brands and further strengthen its lifestyle offerings in the European market.

Under the Ultrasuede vision of “To enrich society through empowered creativity and materials evolution,” we will continue to take on the challenge of realizing Toray Group's corporate philosophy, "Contributing to society through the creation of new value with innovative ideas, technologies, and products.”

source : Toray

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : Hybrid Injection Moulding Machines

 Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

🌍💡 Hybrid Injection Moulding Machines – The Best of Both Worlds? ⚙️🔋

When it comes to injection moulding, the debate between hydraulic and electric machines has been ongoing for decades. But somewhere along the way, a third player emerged — the hybrid injection moulding machine 🤝

🔹 A brief history:

Hybrid technology was born from the need to combine the energy efficiency and precision of electric drives ⚡ with the robust power and reliability of hydraulics 💪.

🔹 Today in Europe:

Hybrid machines have carved out a strong niche — not dominating like all-electrics in small parts, nor as widespread as full-hydraulics in heavy-duty applications, but offering a smart middle ground 🧩

🔹 The physics behind it:

Interestingly, many manufacturers design hybrids where the clamping unit is electric — even though, from a physics standpoint, plasticising (melting the material) demands far more energy 🔥.

At ENGEL, we believe true hybrid design should prioritise efficiency where it matters most — in energy-intensive processes like plastification. ⚙️💚

As the chart below shows 📊, the energy profile clearly favours a smart, physics-based hybrid approach — not just an electric badge on a hydraulic heart.

Let’s rethink what hybrid really means. 🚀

#InjectionMoulding #PlasticsIndustry #HybridTechnology #ENGEL

source : Tivadar Hamzók

Sunday's THOUGHTFUL Post: Loyalty is a two-way street

Sunday's THOUGHTFUL Post:

You're not unmotivated.

You're just undervalued.

Thanks to Rob Dance for this important reminder!

(Give him a follow)

A reminder for anyone who needs it:

(You deserve better)

Stop giving 100% to companies that treat you like you're replaceable.

If you're always:

- Staying late

- Pushing hard

- Hitting targets

And you’re still getting ignored - it's not your fault.

You're not unmotivated.

You're undervalued.

A company that appreciates you will show it. They’ll:

1/ Recognize your contributions and effort.

2/ Listen to your concerns and act on them.

3/ Respect your boundaries and work-life balance.

4/ Promote from within instead of overlooking internal talent.

5/ Support your career growth with training and opportunities.

6/ Make staying feel like the right choice, not your only choice.

7/ Pay you what you’re worth, not what they can get away with.

Loyalty is a two-way street.

If they can't meet you halfway, don’t feel guilty for pulling back.

Protect your energy.

Know your worth.

The right workplace won’t make you question it.

❓ What changed for you when you started protecting your energy at work?

__________

♻️ Repost to help spread the message in your network!

source : Dr. Chris Mullen/ Rob Dance

Resistance isn’t the enemy of change. Poor planning is.

Resistance isn’t the enemy of change.

Poor planning is.

Change doesn’t fail because people are difficult.

It fails because leaders rush in without structure.

That’s why the ADKAR model works - it gives you

a step-by-step way to make change stick.

Step 1: Awareness

Start by making the case for change.

– Share the “why” with clarity

– Use data and relatable stories

– Highlight what’s at risk if nothing changes

Step 2: Desire

Create personal buy-in.

– Speak directly to individual concerns

– Tie the change to personal wins

– Invite feedback, don’t just announce

Step 3: Knowledge

Make learning simple and accessible.

– Train based on roles, not just theory

– Break content into smaller lessons

– Encourage peer learning

Step 4: Ability

Create space for hands-on experience.

– Pilot with smaller teams

– Offer coaching and feedback

– Let teams experiment and iterate

Step 5: Reinforcement

Make sure the change sticks.

– Track adoption with real metrics

– Celebrate visible progress

– Keep communication going

Change isn’t about pushing harder.

It’s about planning smarter.

Now the question is:

Where are you seeing resistance today?

📌 If you want a high-res PDF of this sheet:

source : Daniel Lock