CEFLEX designs “breakthrough” flexible plastics recycling process, urges investments to kickstart circular economy

22 Feb 2021 --- CEFLEX has designed a “breakthrough” recycling process for flexible plastics. The European consortium of flexible packaging companies says the new process can boost both the value and volume of recycled plastics. 

Labeled the Quality Recycling Process (QRP), the new system was designed in collaboration with CEFLEX’s New Sustainable End Markets workstream to create valuable resources from used polymers.

Dana Mosora, a consultant on the workstream, speaks to PackagingInsights about the project and what it could achieve for a circular economy. 

“QRP is made of a sequence of sorting and decontamination steps made possible with existing technology when implemented mainstream,” she explains.

“It results in higher quality recycled materials, which can be returned to the plastic converting industry for valuable end applications.”

QPR trials
A proof of concept trial was recently completed, entitled “Recycling of household collected post-consumer flexible packaging back to non-food flexible packaging through mechanical recycling via the QRP.”

The proof shows QRP effectively recycles flexible plastics back to a broader range of non-food flexible packaging, including more demanding applications like carrier bags.QRP can produce rPP for non-food packaging.

The QRP can also produce film-grade quality recycled polyethylene (rPE) and recycled polypropylene (rPP) – polymers appropriate for non-food flexible packaging. 

The process applies near-infrared (NIR) sorting by polymer and color, followed by hot washing and extrusion with extra filtration and deodorization, creating rPP and rPE. 

The QRP can therefore be used to turn food packaging waste back into products such as shrink wrap, bags and labels. 

Breaking new mechanical ground
One of the real breakthroughs, says CEFLEX, is discovering film-grade recyclates for natural rPE and all color rPP can be obtained at a high yield and quality with mechanical and processing properties. 

The properties make these materials suitable for the replacement of virgin polymers in a wide range of applications outside food packaging. 

“The QRP solution provides flexible packaging with an End Of Life route for mono-material PE and, as a breaking news, mono-material PP back into film applications for non-food packaging or any other valuable non-food end application,” says Mosora. 

“The rest of the flexible packaging polyolefins stream, once these two film fractions are separated, has a value for injection molding applications because the advanced decontamination produces good quality materials to recycle mechanically.”Recycling solutions exist, says CEFLEX, but require immediate investments.

“Even with conventional decontamination, the rest of the flexible packaging polyolefins stream can be a valuable input to chemical recycling aiming to enable higher yields in the process,” she explains. 

Call for investments 
CEFLEX is now calling for QRP investments to help further Europe’s plastics circular economy. 

“It is not a matter if we can; it is a matter of justifying the investment to do it. We have to realize that sorting flexibles are much more complex than sorting rigid packaging. At the moment, there is minimal infrastructure in place throughout Europe to sort out PP film,” says Berry Bellert, sales engineer at Dutch environmental company, Attero.

Meanwhile, a study at Wageningen University and Research (WUR) found the quality of Dutch recycled plastic bottles and flacons (PE and PP) is well-suited for various non-food applications, but the demand for recycled plastics is lagging behind the supply. 

Mosora explains the consortium is currently working on estimating the funds needed and will make an announcement soon. 

“The time for the European recycling industry to switch to quality from quantity is now, and each of us in the value chain should do our part to make it happen: design packaging for recycling, invest in the infrastructure and drive quality,” she concludes. 

By Louis Gore-Langton