Water-soluble polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) film manufacturer MonoSol, a subsidiary of Japan’s Kurray, is building a new plant to produce the films at Zimna Wodka, Poland, near Katowice.  

Kuraray said the MonoSol biodegradable film facility will help meet growing demand for packaging film used to wrap unit dose detergents, pharmaceuticals, and other products. 

The new plant, whose capacity has not been disclosed, is set for start-up in mid-2022 and is expected to continue expanding in future. The new start-up will employ 90 people.

The Japanese offshoot based at Merillville, Indiana, in the US midwest, said it decided to establish a production base in Poland with the aim of optimizing its global supply chain and expanding sales in the region.

Kuraray’s European headquarters is at Hattersheim / Germany, and it operates another European PVA films plant at Hartlebury / UK.

To ensure its ability to meet diversifying customer needs as well as  remaining world’s leading supplier of PVA water-soluble films, Kuraray said it plans to expand its supply system while maintaining its focus on enhancing product quality and developing new products.

At Lebanon, Indiana, Monosol has nearly doubled its existing capacity for the films, with commercial production expected to be in the market by early 2021.