Making plastic recycle ready

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In the last few years, the flexible plastic packaging industry has been developing materials to match the requirements required to help the recycling industry produce valuable quality polymers from post-consumer waste. Active Packaging and the packaging industry as a whole has taken the call to change materials very seriously and is now ready to meet the challenges to deliver products that are recycle ready. New polymers, new techniques and a new attitude has allowed great innovations to increase the chances of achieving a true circular economy.

Our industry has been led in the UK by OPRL which has been created by WRAP to guide us towards meeting recycling standards but in the Republic of Ireland we must also be flexible to meet individual retailer requirements. The waste collection and recycling industries are developing fast in the UK and Ireland to meet the standards and demands for a responsible reaction to the packaging waste issue, it is our responsibility to help and be ready.

Developed products

  • PE (single polythene layer) films to replace BOPP(Polypropylene) films
  • PE (single polythene layer) films to replace laminate (multiple mixed layered) films
  • PE/PE laminate (2 polythene layer) to replace mixed laminates such as PET/PE or BOPP/PE
  • Multi-layered PE laminates with enhanced barrier to improve shelf life
  • Reduced thickness of all film types

All the above products can be developed with Active Packaging for vertical form fill and seal packing lines, flow wrap machines and lidding film lines.

Future ready developments – Recycle content materials

Government guidance has sparked a great interest in developing materials with a recycle content, 30% content being the target given. This has forged great partnerships across the packaging and recycling industries to structure supply chains to meet these targets. There has been successes and failures in achieving solutions, but the work goes on and if you are interested in a discussion for your packaging requirement please contact us, Active are ready to work with you.

Current projects and Challenges

  • Recycle content (post-consumer waste) PE films, solutions ready for non-food requirements
  • Recycle content (post-consumer and post-industrial waste) BOPP films, ready for food contact requirements. BOPP is currently not deemed recyclable yet within the UK.
  • Heat sealable paper to replace plastics for flow wrap machines.
  • PET (polyester) films which have 100% recycle content
  • NEW – paper film with a net window made from bamboo to pack on VFFS machine, the machine must be partnered with this film for success.

Active Packaging are ready to work, discuss and guide you in any requirement you may have to make your flexible packaging product recycle ready. You can start with little changes like reducing thickness or develop a product with materials that are ready for your councils to collect and recycle now to truly enter a circular economy which will play it’s part in making the packaging waste issue a thing of the past!

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