CIRCULAR FoodPack aims to enable the circular use of plastic packaging, focusing on the most sensitive product category: food packaging. This sector accounts for 87% of all European flexible plastic-plastic multi-layer laminates, due to its stringent requirements for food preservation and safety. However, currently these multi-material laminates cannot be recycled using state-of-the-art mechanical recycling processes, amongst others due to the presence of incompatible polymers. As a result, even when collected, these multi-material laminates are typically sent to landfill or incineration.
If flexible packaging waste were collected and recycled, the resulting post-consumer recyclates (PCRs) could not easily be reused in food packaging applications. This is because the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) prohibits the use of PCRs in food packaging unless they are derived exclusively from a closed and controlled product loop. Since the collection of flexible food packaging does not operate within a closed loop, true circularity for this packaging type is not yet achievable. Moreover, recycled polymers derived from less demanding mono-film waste fractions often underperform and are unsuitable for use in food packaging applications. This is mainly due to the presence of both intentionally added substances (IAS) and non-intentionally added substances (NIAS), which undermine the safety and functionality of the recyclates. These challenges continue to pose significant barriers to realizing circularity in flexible food packaging.
Addressing the annual 2 million tonnes of European multi-layer food packaging, which hampers the recycling of 17.8 million tonnes of food packaging waste, the project CIRCULAR FoodPack has significant potential for the flexible packaging and food sectors. The project is implemented by an interdisciplinary team of 5 RTOs (Fraunhofer IVV , Ghent University (UGENT), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Maastricht University (UM), National Technical University of Athens (NTUA)), 5 SMEs (BayFOR, Ecozept, IRIS, KREYEN and POLY), and 5 large industrial partners (AMCOR-G, AMCOR-K, NESTLE, SIEGWERK and SUEZ). The approach addresses the challenges of sorting, separating, and recycling multi-layered flexible materials used for food packaging. The solutions enable the reuse of secondary raw materials in the same high-value product sector.
The process starts with collection and sorting of packaging waste, with polyethylene (PE) being the primary polymer used in flexible packaging applications in this project. Tracer-based sorting (TBS) technology separates food packaging from other flexible household packaging waste. These sorted food packaging items then undergo pre-treatment and recycling processes and post-consumer recyclates (PE PCRs) are produced. The project follows “advanced physical recycling,” incorporating technologies such as delamination/deinking followed by mechanical recycling or dissolution-based recycling, and thermally assisted deodorization. Cleaning efficiency of the recycling proceses has been evaluated through challenge tests.
Innovative, recyclable, food-safe PE based mono-material laminates are designed that allow PE PCR reuse in food packaging marked with deinkable tracers. This closed loop creates a future circular economy for food packaging, with TBS ensuring the sorting of food-grade materials. To prevent contaminant migration from PCRs to food, recyclates have been significantly purified in the course of recycling and new functional barriers have been developed and included in the new food packaging in addition. Demonstrators are produced for food and home/personal care packaging. Product characterization, food contact compliance testing, life cycle assessments (LCA), life cycle cost assessments (LCC), social LCA, and business modeling supported the development and scaling of new packaging.
CIRCULAR FoodPack directly supports the EU Plastics Strategy by increasing plastic waste recycling rates, improving the quality of recycled polymers, and developing innovative flexible packaging designs that are optimized for and from recycling. The project aligns with key legislative frameworks, including the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulations (PPWR), Recycling Regulation (EU) 2022/1616, and the Food Contact Materials legislation (EC No 1935/2004), among others.
