INEOS and Supply Chain Partners Collaborate on Premium Film Packaging with 50% Recycled Plastic

Several partners from across the flexible food packaging supply chain have worked together to launch new, premium quality snack PP-packaging that contains 50% postconsumer recycled plastic (PCR) and meets stringent food contact requirements. The new packaging has been launched in the U.K. and Ireland for Sunbites, PepsiCo’s well-known snack brand. The packaging is made by recycling plastic waste into food grade packaging material. This is done using an advanced recycling process, a complementary approach to mechanical recycling, which enables the recycled materials to satisfy the demanding EU regulatory requirements for applications such as food contact packaging, contact sensitive and medical devices.

Several partners across the entire supply chain collaborated to enable the launch of this attractive new circular packaging:

• GreenDot ensured the procurement and supply of PCR packaging waste, which was converted into Tacoil (pyrolysis oil) using Plastic Energy’s technology.
• INEOS Olefins & Polymers Europe used this pyrolysis oil as an alternative to traditional fossil feedstock to first produce recycled propylene, before turning this into virgin-quality recycled PP resin at its plant in Lavera, France.
• IRPLAST uses the new resin to turn existing plastic packaging designs into new packaging films that contain 50% of PCR materials and meet the food contact performance requirements.
• Amcor transformed these films into printed packaging that is said to deliver the same technical performance for PepsiCo.

The PCR content is certified under the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC PLUS) scheme. The partnership is part of PepsiCo Positive (pep+), the company’s end-to-end transformation, which aims to eliminate virgin fossil-based plastic in crisp and chip bags in Europe by 2030.

Says Rob Ingram, CEO of INEOS Olefins & Polymers Europe North, “Successfully producing high-quality, food contact packaging from plastic waste demonstrates that, alongside mechanical recycling, advanced recycling is vital for creating materials that can be used in demanding applications. We look forward to working with partners to leverage the range of solutions our business has invested in to accelerate packaging circularity. Examples include our Recycl-IN hybrid polymer range and new pilot line for fully recyclable machine-direction orientation films.”

Says Amcor’s sustainability director Gerald Rebitzer,“We are building a future where flexible packaging is part of the circular economy. Together with PepsiCo, we enhanced the material technologies on PepsiCo’s new crisp packet to make it easier to recycle. And we are beginning to integrate renewable and recycled content into PepsiCo’s packaging. To meet the demands of our clients like PepsiCo, we encourage more partners upstream to invest in the supply chains of these new materials.”