ABB and Zume Accelerate Shift Away from Single-Use Plastics: 2,000 Robots to Produce Eco-Friendly Packaging
ABB Robotics has signed a cooperation agreement with California-based Zume, a global provider of innovative compostable packaging. ABB will supply robotic cells that will allow Zume to produce environmentally safe packaging on a global scale, helping to reduce dependence on single-use plastic.
Over the next five years, ABB will integrate and install more than 1,000 molded fiber cells (MFC), including up to 2,000 robots, at Zume customer sites around the world. The company will use its program management capabilities and automation experts within its network of global solution centers to deliver the scale, modularity and speed needed to launch solutions capable of producing millions of units of eco-friendly packaging annually. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.
Manufacturers face growing pressure from consumers and policymakers to find alternatives to single-use plastic packaging. New packaging must be eco-friendly, easy to mold and as cost-effective as plastic. Zume's packaging material is made from eco-friendly plant material left over from agricultural production, including bamboo, wheat and straw.
Plant-based material consumes significantly less water and energy and reduces CO2 emissions compared with the production and disposal of plastic packaging. Unlike plastic, plant-based materials are 100% biodegradable and simply break down after use.
“Automating the production of Zume's eco-friendly packaging with ABB robots makes it a viable and economical alternative to single-use plastics. With Zume, we have the potential to remove trillions of pieces of plastic from the global market, conserving limited resources and supporting a low-carbon world. Today, robotic automation is expanding capabilities and making the world greener through more efficient production that cuts energy consumption, emissions and production waste. Our cooperation shows what is possible when organizations committed to building a low-carbon society work together”
Zume has developed and patented an innovative manufacturing process that makes it possible to create compostable packaging for anything, from food and groceries to cosmetics and consumer goods. Containers are formed from plant material using Zume's molded fiber cells, integrated with two ABB IRB 6700 robots.
Each cell processes up to two tons of agricultural material every day, producing 80,000 units of eco-friendly packaging. Working with ABB, Zume plans to equip each factory with about 100 robotic cells. Thanks to automation, speed and scalability, each facility could process 71,000 tons of agricultural materials per year, potentially producing up to two billion packages per year.
“By our estimates, by 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in the world's oceans, so it is crucial to move everyone away from single-use plastic. Using ABB's global automation experts to develop and integrate automation solutions for our customers will revolutionize packaging and demonstrate what eco-friendly production can look like. The flexibility and scalability of ABB robots enable an efficient automated production process. This means we can offer a viable, cost-effective, compostable alternative to plastic and help manufacturers become more environmentally friendly”
The pilot project was implemented by Zume and ABB at Satia Industries Limited, one of India's largest manufacturers of wood and agro-paper, to create a facility of 10 production cells that will process 20 tons of wheat straw daily, producing 100% compostable packaging for a range of industries.
“Our work with Zume and ABB allows Satia Industries to meet and exceed our customers' expectations for high-performance, affordable and reliable products that are produced in an environmentally responsible way and easily composted. In addition to significantly increasing the company's value, we can support the planet by providing environmentally responsible solutions that will help our customers move to more modern, reliable and customized products than the ones they use today”
Other planned pilot installations include Parason Group, a leading global supplier of equipment for the pulp and paper industry, also based in India, and Jefferson Enterprise Energy, the first compostable packaging factory powered by 100% renewable energy, based in Texas (USA).
ABB is a leading global technology company that drives the transformation of society and industry toward a more productive and sustainable future. By combining software with its portfolio in electrification, robotics, automation and motion, ABB is pushing the boundaries of technology to take performance to a new level.
Zume is actively reducing plastic waste worldwide with cost-effective alternatives to plastic packaging. As the creator of the world's most advanced molded fiber manufacturing system, Zume is a global provider of sustainability solutions and offers a growing range of eco-friendly industrial solutions and services in the food, beverage, healthcare and consumer goods categories.
