RIGID PACKAGING | INNOVATION


Getting to grips with the PO packaging waste stream


Improving the recycling of rigid polyolefin packaging is the target for a number of groups and projects. Chris Saunders reports on recent developments


Due to their light weight, versatility and cost-effec- tiveness, rigid polyolefin materials account for a major proportion of packaging, and consequently also occur in large quantities of packaging waste. According to data from Plastic Recyclers Europe, the rigid polyolefin packaging waste stream experienced growth of more than 64% from 2018 to 2021 and the amount of recycled rigid polyole- fins is expected to continue increasing. But while there are encouraging trends, the market for recycled PP and HDPE, especially within the rigid packaging sector, still faces major bottlenecks that are slowing down the full potential for circularity. Fabrizio di Gregorio, the Technical Director at


Plastics Recyclers Europe responsible for non-profit initiative RecyClass, says: “Currently, more than half of the plastic packaging that is placed on the market is not designed to be recyclable. Different features of product design (adhesives, labels, pigments) can hinder recyclability and increase the costs of producing recycled material, while at the same time reducing its value.” RecyClass helps the plastics value chain better understand and evaluate packaging design with the primary goal of improving efficiency and recyclability. It has published Design for Recycling Guidelines for HDPE and PP containers, as well as standardised protocols for evaluating their recyclability. Additionally, RecyClass commissions independ- ent testing campaigns to generate knowledge on technologies used in plastic packaging. When it comes to rigid polyolefins, notable campaigns


www.plasticsrecyclingworld.com


include a study of PE content in the PP stream (and vice-versa), which found that up to 10% of contami- nation is considered as compatible with the recycling processes, and an evaluation of SiOx plasma coating in rigid PE containers which found it to be fully compatible with the dedicated recycling stream. “Paired with the design issues, the biggest obstacle in allowing the circular use of resources is the insufficient and unharmonised collection of waste,” Di Gregorio says. “When materials are not collected, this automatically means that they will not reach recycling centres and therefore cannot be used to make new products. Similarly, unstandard- ised sorting practices and inefficiencies caused by bad design negatively impact the supply of input materials for plastics recyclers.” He also indicates the problem of


low virgin material prices this year which also act as an obstacle. “In


recent months, recyclers have been faced with an all-time low demand for recyclate. The incentives for manufacturers to switch from virgin materials to recycled ones


are still heavily outweighed by economic con- straints. It is imperative to establish strong incen- tives through a coherent legislative framework


September 2023 | PLASTICS RECYCLING WORLD 29


Main image: There is a growing amount of PP containers often mixed with HDPE bottles in packaging waste streams


Left: Fabrizio di Gregorio, Technical Director at Plastics Recyclers Europe


IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK


I


M


A


G


E :


P R


E


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48