RIGID PACKAGING | INNOVATION
new Packaging Act comes into force in 2019. The Central Packaging Registry published information in June for evaluating the recyclability of packag- ing. “The orientation aid presented by the Central Packaging Registry constitutes an important step, for realistically classifying the recyclability of packages,” said Michael Wiener, CEO of Der Grüne Punkt, a leading group operating in Germany’s dual system for take-back of waste and marketing of recyclates. Der Grüne Punkt has developed a funding model in which packaging subject to mandatory system participation will receive support from a fund if the packaging has been classified as recycling-friendly using a defined evaluation system harmonised for all market participants. But it stressed the need to use high-quality recovery processes. “This will incentivise the systems to practise maximally extensive and maximally high-quality recycling, and thus also encourage competition,” said Wiener. In conjunction with the Cyclos-HTP Institute, Der Grüne Punkt has already developed processes for assess- ing the recyclability of packages, meeting the stipulations regarding a minimum standard. Practical guidance on designing plastics
packaging for recycling is now available from various sources. Der Grüne Punkt has started a Design4Recycling service and has published an online brochure for assessment of the recyclability of a new packaging design, including a checklist for companies to make an initial assessment of existing designs. Also in Germany, plastics recycler Interseroh has worked with the Bifa environmental institute to develop a three-stage points system about how recyclable a piece of packaging is. In the first stage, it is determined whether the consumer can assign the packaging to the correct collection system without any problems. The second stage involves examining how the packag- ing performs when it comes to sorting. The final
Crown Paints will use ImerPlast IM30 100% recycled polyolefin compounds to make paint containers in the UK
stage analyses whether the packaging is suitable for material recycling or whether, for example, labels, colours or caps make recycling difficult. The assessment methodology developed by Interseroh and Bifa and reviewed by Fraunhofer IVV is part of the Interseroh’s packaging optimisation service called “Made for Recycling”. PRE has created the RecyClass Platform to help
brand owners and packaging producers in terms of design for recycling. Features of RecyClass include: support via email to all users’ questions regarding recyclability of packaging; RecyClass certification and labelling of packaging products; and analysis and assessment of a company’s recycling policy. Paolo Glerean, Chair of Recy- Class, will present the platform’s benefits at AMI’s Design for Sustainability conference on 11-12 December in London, UK. Another speaker at the conference will be
Richard McKinlay, Head of Circular Economy, at Axion. The UK-based recycler and consultancy is offering an in-house training course on waste management operations in the UK and Europe. The course covers current infrastructure, how sorting and recycling processes work and how packaging design impacts on recycling. “This is a new area for many companies, they are not waste management or recycling organisations,” said McKinlay. “They may not understand why certain design choices are important. Crucially, they may not know what decisions to take for packaging to be recyclable.” ImerPlast in the UK is one recycler that has been successfully finding market applications for polyolefin-based recyclate. The company, which is part of Imerys, upcycles mixed polyolefin waste (containing variable quantities of PE, PP and PS) by compounding recyclate with a specially developed compatibiliser. The resulting compounds have been used in new packaging, including paint containers. The company’s IM30 compound was recently selected for the world’s first 100% post- consumer recycled plastics paint pot. These are being injection moulded by Emballator in Brad- ford, UK, and will be used by Crown Paints for its 2.5l and 5l retail packs and all 10l packs this year, with trade plastic packs to follow in 2019. “This marks a significant step in the evolution of recycled resin,” said ImerPlast. Typically, only 25% of recycled plastics are used with virgin polymers in a paint pot. Also, the recyclate often contains significant post-industrial rather than post-consumer content because the impact properties are not good
28 PLASTICS RECYCLING WORLD | September/October 2018
www.plasticsrecyclingworld.com
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