INNOVATION | RIGID PACKAGING
PolyPPRISM technology at commercial scale, the team has trialled fluorescent markers on MCC Verstraete’s in-mould labels (IML)
Above: The Nextloopp project has trialled fluorescent markers on in-mould labels
which would include requirements for standard- ised design and mandatory recycled content targets. Coherent legislation would also further drive investments and boost confidence in the recycled rigid polyolefin sector. Overcoming these issues would open a wide array of opportunities.” The European Commission’s plans for a new
Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation should help increase plastics packaging collection and recycling (see Plastics Recycling World January- February 2023 issue). Di Gregorio says: “The proposal for the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation and the Single-use Plastics Directive are steps in the right direction, as they promote rules that need to be applied across the EU but also call on mandatory recycled content targets, recyclabil- ity requirements, and more.” Two and a half years on from Nextek’s launch of
Nextloopp, the multi-participant project to close the loop on post-consumer food-grade rPP, it now consists of 48 organisations from across the PP supply chain. One of the key objectives of the project has been to meet the standards compliant with the food safety authorities using challenge tests for validation. To help achieve this, Nextloopp has run a number of trials to gather the required data to compile a dossier for application to EFSA and US FDA for food compliance and completed a landmark study of background contamination. The two year anniversary marked the submission of Nextloopp’s initial rPP dossier to the USFDA, which was followed shortly afterwards by registration as a novel technol- ogy with EFSA. The project continues trialling and advancing its cleaning, sorting and decontamination technologies PolyPPRISM and PPristine as a precur- sor to implementation at commercial scale. Modern packaging demands eye-catching
branding, and rigid polyolefin packaging has evolved to meet these requirements through advancements in printing and decorating technolo- gies. High-definition printing, embossing, and holographic effects are now achievable on a large scale, allowing for intricate designs that enhance shelf appeal. Following trials undertaken at Tomra as part of Nextloopp’s lead-up to demonstrate the
30 PLASTICS RECYCLING WORLD | September 2023
using Tomra’s Autosort unit, Flying Beam, which features integrated UV illumination. The trials, which resulted in 100% purity and 100% yield during internal tests, nudge the multi-participant project a step closer to their ultimate goal. Having established these sorting rates, Nextloopp is now working with MCC Verstraete to highlight NextCycle IML, a new generation of RecyClass- approved IML that feature automatic detachment and removal during conventional recycling pro- cesses. This means brands can have fully decorated IML containers that provide a separate stream of natural PP free from print and label residues. More trials are set to follow. As Nextloopp’s third anniversary approaches,
the project has finalised another landmark study, this time looking at the residual contamination levels of post-consumer PP packaging, which, up until now, have been a largely unknown area. The lack of data showing the misuse rate within PP feedstocks meant there was no reliable way of defining which molecules to target via a decon- tamination process, let alone the residual levels that could potentially migrate into food. This latest study was aimed at identifying substances that might cause samples to be outliers, in turn distorting the study conclusions. A key step was to check whether the substances observed are genotoxic. This is critical criteria for EFSA safety evaluations given that the substance could be derived from the mis-selection of a piece of non-food PP packaging, which is not necessarily a case of misuse. Although PP has very similar properties to HDPE, being olefinic, the packaging format and applications of PP reduces the chances of it being in a consumer-misuse scenario. A substantial proportion of PET packaging is relatively durable, with a tight closure, making it a container of choice when storing hazardous materials. Likewise, HDPE packaging in bottle form with a closure is used widely for non-food applications meaning it too requires careful sorting before recycling. PP food containers, on the other hand, are less
likely to come in bottle form due to its lower toughness and clarity, and much more likely to be pots, tubs, or trays, with limited closure capability making them unlikely to be used by consumers for mis-use scenarios. Characterising residues in post-consumer packaging sorted into mono-poly- mer fractions is done by analysing and testing multiple (17,000) flakes of food/non-food samples to see what molecules are present and if there are
www.plasticsrecyclingworld.com
IMAGE: NEXTLOOPP
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