TOPPAN Group company Irplast has installed a new high-performance BOPP film production line in Italy as the group expands its supply of films intended for mono-material packaging structures.
The new line uses simultaneous biaxial stretching technology to produce BOPP films designed to combine heat resistance, mechanical strength and transparency.
Irplast held an inauguration ceremony for the installation on 15 September, with commercial production targeted for later in 2026.
TOPPAN said the investment will bring Irplast’s combined capacity for high-performance BOPP films at the plant to approximately 30,000 tonnes per year. The figure includes existing capacity and should not be interpreted as 30,000 tonnes of additional output from the new line alone.
The company is positioning the films for packaging structures where converters and brand owners are looking to move from mixed-material laminates towards polypropylene-based mono-material solutions.
The line uses the LISIM simultaneous biaxial orientation process. TOPPAN said the technology can provide the dimensional stability required for demanding packaging applications, including structures exposed to retort processing.
The group also plans to use the films to support downgauging, with higher mechanical strength potentially allowing converters to reduce film thickness while retaining required packaging performance.
TOPPAN and Irplast are additionally developing applications combining the new BOPP substrates with TOPPAN’s GL BARRIER transparent barrier-film technology.
The investment comes as European packaging suppliers prepare for tighter recyclability and material-efficiency requirements under the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation.
TOPPAN acquired a controlling interest in Irplast in 2025 as part of its expansion in specialist flexible-packaging films.
