FILM | INNOVATION
with national authorities and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes to bring about the necessary changes in collection and sorting. A major work programme is the development of a Quality Recycling Process which will demonstrate state-of-the art sorting and recycling of flexible packaging. “The Quality Recycling Process (QRP) enables a much greater percentage of flexible packaging to be returned to the economy – and in the quantities and the qualities needed to meet the requirements of new end markets,” says Dana Mosora, Technology Workstream Lead at Ceflex. An update on the QRP project in December
Above: Ceflex has been sampling, sorting and analysing the light packaging fraction recyclables stream at PreZero’s Porta Westfalica waste sorting facility in Germany
economy for flexible packaging, to developing and delivering it. While that transition had already begun, 2021 crystalised key proof points, initiatives and industry wide alignment.” Ceflex has many work programmes, the detail
of which was illustrated by a study last year which made an in-depth analysis of the amount of flexible and rigid packaging in mixed plastics waste streams (Plastics Recycling World March-April 2021 issue). The study highlighted the significant amount of recyclable flexible packaging that remains in residual household waste. In June 2021, Ceflex published a position
statement recommending that all flexible plastics packaging should be collected for recycling in Europe, as a separate stream or with other light pack- aging. Additional sorting of flexible packaging from mixed waste is likely necessary (Plastics Recycling World July-August 2021 issue). Ceflex says teams operating on a country-by country basis will work
explained it uses a combination of four steps based on existing technology, including advanced sorting techniques, hot washing, extrusion with extra filtration and deodorisation. While these technolo- gies are already being used in different facilities in Europe, they have not been used together at the same commercial site. Trials have found that if a single so-called 310
bale of flexible packaging waste went through QRP’s four steps, a minimum of 20-25% of recyclate would be produced to one of the highest grades (PE Film Natural) and about 60-55% of the remain- ing material would be left over for other rigid commercial activities, such as making laundry baskets or bottle caps. Ceflex is planning to build an industrial scale QRP demonstration plant which is expected to be running commercially by the end of 2023. “This will help us demonstrate the economic viability of the solution at a large industrial scale,” says Dana. “We need to incorporate more partners in order to build the demo at an industrial scale and achieve better quality, quantity, and, most importantly, to
FDA food-contact green light for Revolution
US integrated recycler and flexible packaging producer Revolution, based in Little Rock, Arkansas, says the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a Letter of No Objection for its proprietary recycling method to produce post-consumer recycled LLDPE for food contact applications. PCR produced under Revolution’s process can be used at content levels up to 100% in the manufacture of food contact articles for all food types under nearly all Conditions of Use as defined by the FDA. Revolution’s food contact recycling process is the result of a long-term development project. The company says it “leveraged its more than 25 years of flexible film recycling experience to develop new proprietary processes, testing methods and quality control measures to meet the stringent requirements specified by the FDA”. The company is currently expanding capacity and ramping up processes to meet market demand. It is also expecting more approvals paving the way for further innovations.
46 PLASTICS RECYCLING WORLD | January/February 2022
PCR LLDPE produced with Revolution’s process can be used at content levels up to 100% in the manufacture of food-contact articles
www.plasticsrecyclingworld.com
IMAGE: CEFLEX
IMAGE: REVOLUTION
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