Plastics Packaging Recycling

The majority of plastic products can be recycled, however the extent to which they are recycled is dependent upon logistic, economic and technical factors. Plastic is a valuable and finite resource, therefore its desirable to recycle many plastic items at the ‘end-of-life’ as long as the resource involved in doing so does not outweigh the resource recovered. 

Product can be recycled back into its original form, however recycled plastics are still a valuable resource if they are going back into a different application; there doesn’t need to be a fully closed loop system in order to generate products of good quality. In circumstances where recovery into a secondary use material is not cost-effective, energy can be harnessed and put back into applications such as high-intensity industry and electricity generation. 

Benefits of Recycling Plastics Packaging
 

• Reduces the environmental impact of plastic-rich products
• Minimises the amount of plastic being sent to the UK’s diminishing landfill sites
• Provides a sustainable source of raw materials to industry
• Encourages a sustainable lifestyle among children and young adults
• Reduces the consumption of the Earth’s oil stocks
• Consumes less energy than producing new, virgin polymers

UK Plastics Packaging Recycling Targets
 

The UK plastic packaging recycling targets have been set by government that requires an increase of 5% per year from 32% in 2012 to 57% by 2017 . The 57% target applies only to businesses obligated by the Producer Responsibility regime for packaging and equates to a national average recycling rate of 42.3%.
In 2014 the UK are entering year 2 of the new DEFRA targets for packaging recycling. To achieve this target, the UK needs to recycle an estimated 1.2 million tonnes of plastic packaging per annum by 2017. In 2013 the UK recycled 714,000 tonnes ,  (achieving the business target of 37% and an overall recycling rate of 27.5%). Therefore we need an increase in the rate of recycling of 500,000 tonnes over the next four years, from 2014 to 2017 inclusive (circa 125kt increase each year).

  (1) https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/reducing-and-managing-waste/supporting-pages/packaging-waste-producer-responsibility-regimes
  (2) https://npwd.environment-agency.gov.uk/public/PublicSummaryData.aspx
  (3) This was made up of 430,000 tonnes exported (60%) and 284,000 tonnes reprocessed in UK (40%)

(Source: RECOUP)

PIRAP And The Plastics Recycling Targets
 

The Plastics Industry Recycling Action Plan (PIRAP) sets out the commitment and plans of UK companies to help meet recycling targets for plastic packaging waste and achieve wider economic and environmental aims through a series of focused actions. This action plan has been developed by industry through collaborative work between stakeholders across the UK plastics packaging sector in the PIRAP working groups. These stakeholders include individual organisations as well as industry bodies such as ESA, LARAC, NAWDO, BPF, PAFA, Plastics Europe, Recoup, BRC, FDF, WRAP and many others. Five working groups looked at recyclability, collections, sorting /reprocessing, end markets and systems / regulation.

PIRAP will be adopted by the Plastics 2020 partners (BPF, PAFA and Plastics Europe), in an attempt to develop it further into a detailed action plan intended to help industry move toward the 2017 plastics recycling targets set by the government.

Plastics 2020, aided by WRAP, will now seek support from a wide range of stakeholders including brands, retailers, local authorities, waste management companies, UK central government departments and agencies, as well as their own industry members and recyclers in order to turn this framework document into specific actions to help secure the increased tonnages that will be needed if plastics recycling is to be elevated to the requisite level in the UK.

At present, in the UK, far too much recyclable plastic material is sent to landfill which is a waste of valuable resource.  The PIRAP programme has highlighted a number of areas where improvements could be made to enhance collection rates, adopt best-in-class collection methods, optimise sorting infrastructure and develop end markets.
In a joint statement, the Plastics 2020 partners said, “The UK has made tremendous progress in recent years and the Plastics 2020 Consortium believe that if we can further improve infrastructure links and engender closer working relationships between all the relevant stakeholders, a vibrant recycling business sector, producing high quality products and additional jobs, will continue to develop within the UK”.

In addition to this, the RECOUP programme ‘Pledge4Plastics (http://www.pledge4plastics.co.uk/), a brand new recycling initiative launched in September 2014, is set to play an important part in helping councils to convince consumers to proactively recycle the plastics packaging used.

How Recycling Of Plastics Packaging Works: BPF Member Case Studies

RPC

RPC Containers and leading plastics recycler Regain Polymers Ltd have produced a YouTube video with the clear message that plastics are not only recyclable but are needed for valuable new packaging applications.

The video shows how instead of being thrown away, a margarine tub is placed into a recycling bin.  The viewer is then taken through the stages of the recycling process that convert the tub back into pellets which are used to manufacture the paint container.  The video ends with the new paint can being purchased and taken to the home where the margarine tub came from.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9_W_mVSx6E

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Linpac Packaging

The Project Brief

One of Australia’s leading retailers was seeking a packaging partner to supply a range of packaging for their in-store meat counters which would not only and drive up sales and profit performance but also drive up their ‘green’ credentials in food packaging.

There were a number of criteria that the company needed to meet in order to fulfil their requirement:
•    The ability to provide a customised product offering
•    Resulting products needed maximum sustainability and have demonstrable environmental credentials in terms of reducing their carbon footprint
•    Trays needed to be lightweight, but maintain rigidity for shelf display, maximising shelf pack appearance to drive sales
•    Demonstrate a reduction in food and packaging waste across the supply chain
•    Demonstrate the recycled content of the range was ‘safe’ for the packaging of food.
•    The ability to work to tight deadlines

The project had a complex set of needs that required agility, flexibility and fresh thinking from LINPAC to provide the customer with the optimum product solution.


The Innovation Investment

The LINPAC basic philosophy is to work in partnership with customers to develop creative packaging solutions which meet their individual requirements and challenges. An innovation project team was formed of tray experts from LINPAC working alongside the customer’s packaging technologists from the customer. 


Win:Win Product Solutions

Initially the LINPAC Rfresh® PET/PE tray range was supplied.  This tray range for modified atmosphere packaging contained between 90-95% post consumer recycled content.  The range included trays with soaker pads to absorb unsightly juices, helping to maintain the fresh appearance of meat and hindering the growth of bacteria so extending the shelf life of the product. 

All of the recycled material used in the manufacture of the Rfresh® PET/PE trays passes through the company’s rigorous in-house ‘supercleaning’ process to ensure that the recyclate used in the manufacturing process is free from contamination and suitable for contact with food.

In terms of reducing the customer’s carbon footprint, this changeover from their existing packaging to the Rfresh® PET/PE range delivered significant results.  For example:  On average the converted trays now weigh approximately 26 gms each, (the final weight depending upon the tray size).  Assuming that in a 12 months period the customer will use 22 million trays, then the weight of PET used in manufactured will have been some 572 tonnes, all of which will be recyclable alongside standard bottle waste.

Using the minimum content of 90% post consumer recycled rPET then the amount of recycled material used will be 515 tonnes meaning that the customer will use at least 515 tonnes less of virgin polymer material per annum!

The rPET/PE trays have also reduced waste both in the supply chain and in-store by extending the shelf life of the meat from the original 5 days to 21 days ensuring that product was available for sale at the time consumer wish to purchase.

The tray range provided has been so successful both with the customer and the consumer that they are now about to introduce the Rfresh® Elite tray – the ultimate solution in sustainability – for meat and poultry packaging.

This super lightweight, mono-material tray is made almost entirely from recycled material (95%) and uses a unique sealant on the tray flange to create a secure seal with the lidding film.  The novel sealant removes the need for the industry standard laminated PE base film and creates a crystal clear tray which is 100% recyclable at the end of its service life – a breakthrough in tray packaging design.

Rfresh® Elite trays have been developed as part of the LINPAC Packaging Project LIFE® (LIghtweighting For Excellence)  Programme which reduces tray weight and carbon footprint whilst maintaining excellent performance and integrity, resulting in a tray which is another 70 microns lighter than previous designs yet is just as robust and functional as original designs.

The removal of the PE film reduces tray weight by approximately 3% and a redesign of the tray as part of Project LIFE has delivered a minimum 10% reduction relative to standard PET/PE trays, meaning that the carbon footprint of an Elite tray is typically 5% less than the average rPET/PE tray.

The new sealant makes the Elite tray easier to recycle as it can be removed in the hot wash systems of today’s PET recyclers, meaning a recycled tray will yield 100% PET.