Increasing the circularity of high barrier flexible plastic packaging

How can food packages become more circular?

Flexible plastic packaging made of films, used for packaging groceries/food are especially challenging when it comes to recycling. This category of plastic packaging often presents multilayered film structures with different polymer materials in the separate layers. These combinations of different materials provide desirable properties such as effective barrier functions and wear-resistance, but they are incompatible with mechanical recycling of plastic film. A possible solution is to use monolaminate (MoL) films but it must be proved that the same properties are provided.

Colaboration within the value chain

The complete value chain with partners from brand owners, packaging producer with materials experts, collecting system, sorting plant owner, research for recyclability and plastic film producer have worked together to increase the circularity of high barrier flexible plastic packaging based on MoL films. Based on state of the art and a market survey, the most promising MoL films were tested to increase the sensitivity of the sorting process. The recyclability was verified in RISE testbed for plastics recycling.

The results, provided the scientific data that has been missing, and has be used to update the Manual for Plastics Recycling, provided by FTI (now Näringslivets Producentansvar) and Swedish Plastics Recycling, to guide package producers to choose recyclable alternatives.

Proved functionality and recyclability

The project included tests performed by packaging manufacturers to verify the processability of the MoL films in packaging production equipment.. Demonstration of the recyclability of the films were done by mechanical recycling, i.e. remelting and mixing with other recycled plastic film.

The recyclate, i.e. the recycled plastic was tested in the production at recipients of recycled material that manufactures a new product i.e. a new plastic film. Positive results have decreased the threshold for packaging manufacturers to re-design for increased recyclability and provide a sorting process adjusted for increased sorting degree and circularity of plastic film.

The project has been led by RISE together with Swedish Plastic Recycling, FTI AB and IVL Swedish Environmental Institute and was funded by Vinnova - within the framework of the initiative "Increased resource efficiency for a circular industry.

Take part of the results by looking at the presentations behind the links below.