Carbon-free technology ignites black plastics recyclability roadshow

26 Mar 2020 --- Advancements in Near-Infrared (NIR) detectable carbon-free black pigment technology has afforded black plastics a new lease of life in a marketplace demanding increased recyclability. Carbon-free pigments enable full-detectability of black plastics on recycling sorting machines at existing Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) and Plastic Recovery Facilities (PRFs). Suppliers are coming on board in increasing numbers with solutions boasting such technology, notably Berry M&H’s carbon black-free masterbatch for HDPE bottles, Klöckner Pentaplast’s (kp) Kapture PET black trays and rigid films range and Ampacet’s REC-NIR-Black masterbatch for rigid packaging.

Conventional black plastics are notoriously difficult to recycle as they cannot be detected by sorting machines, meaning different polymers cannot be separated into the correct streams. This had led numerous retailers, such as UK supermarkets Waitrose and Asda to phase black plastics packaging out, despite their aesthetic appeal. More recently, Tesco discouraged the use of black plastics in packaging except for drink bottle caps.

However, as Mike Jackson, Board Member of The UK Recycling Association told PackagingInsights in 2019, “black plastic could have a place on shelves if innovation in the recycling industry finds a way to successfully sort and recycle black plastics.”

Berry M&H carbon black-free masterbatch
Berry M&H is one supplier responding to the black plastic recyclability challenge with its carbon black-free masterbatch for cosmetic and personal care HDPE bottles. The inclusion of a detectable black polymer ensures these packs can be identified alongside other colored HDPE bottles in appropriate sorting systems.Solutions created from Berry M&H's carbon black-free masterbatch.

“There’s a lot of black packaging used in the food and cosmetic industries, in particular a lot of black closures, but the problem is they are getting rejected in the recycling route,” Simon Chidgey, Berry M&H’s Sales and Marketing Director, explained to PackagingInsights at the Packaging Innovations show in Birmingham, UK, in February.

“We worked with some of our suppliers and established that carbon is the issue. So we developed a carbon-free black masterbatch that allows those products to be detected within that route. We’ve been to some recycling centers and successfully tested the masterbatch extensively, both with polyethylene and polypropylene. So it’s very good news for the environment and for those wanting to keep using black plastics where others might feel restricted,” Chidgey adds.

kp Kapture PET black trays
kp’s premium black and colored plastic PET trays and rigid films are also detectable by contemporary recycling and sorting technology and can be turned back into protective packaging multiple times, maintaining food safety while decreasing food and packaging waste. Further, the packaging is made from up to 100 percent post-consumer recycled PET.kp Kapture is available in a wide range of trays and rigid films.

“RECOUP assisted kp with successful trials to independently demonstrate the detectability of kp Kapture colored trays using existing sorting technology in UK facilities. This ensures the items in the kp Kapture brand range can be sorted effectively and prepared for onward recycling,” notes Stuart Foster, CEO of RECOUP.

kp Kapture is available in a wide range of trays and rigid films, including the supplier’s Elite mono tray and top film solution, made from 100 percent post-consumer PET, the Extend PET tray, designed with a PE top lidding film to reduce leakage and food waste for meat products, and its vacuum skin packs.

Ampacet’s REC-NIR-Black masterbatch
Ampacet similarly uses an alternative carbon-free black color, enabling used bottles to be detected by NIR optical sensors and integrated back into the value chain. German chemical and consumer goods company Henkel launched a fully recyclable black plastic bottle for its Bref products using REC-NIR-Black last year.Henkel brand Bref's REC-NIR-Black bottle.

“We have different polymer type solutions available within our REC-NIR-Black masterbatch,” François Thibeau, Strategic Business Manager, Films, told PackagingInsights during Packaging Innovations 2020. “For example, we have solutions for both PET and HDPE bottles. We also have some polypropylene solutions for rigid packaging applications.”

“We maintain a good deep black coloring in REC-NIR-Black, which is what the brand owners require as black gives a luxury appeal to packaging. The PET bottles, for instance, have a very shiny look,” Thibeau says.

Black is the new black
In similar innovations, Unilever introduced a detectable black pigment for its HDPE bottles that enables them to be sorted by plant scanners and recycled. The new bottles rolled out last year for the TRESemmé and Lynx brands. The consumer goods giant estimates that this will enable 2,500 tons of plastic bottles to be sorted and sent for recycling each year – the equivalent to the weight of 200 London buses.

Clariant also developed three NIR-detectable black colorants for plastics to optimize sensor-based sorting and recycling. They can be used for various types of resins such as HDPE, LDPE, PP, PET, PS or PA.

The pressure on brand owners in Europe to achieve recyclability in packaging has intensified further after the European Commission announced further measures to tackle packaging waste and microplastic contamination as part of its new Circular Economy Action Plan.

By Joshua Poole