Amcor has announced its participation in a three-year plastics recycling project led by the Danish Technological Institute. The co-funded innovation partnership Circular Recycling Innovation for Sustainable Packaging (CRISP) aims to develop and implement full-scale circular recycling of rigid food packaging made from polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) sourced from household waste collections.
Alongside Amcor, the project will involve major food manufacturers and waste management companies. Amcor will contribute recycling and packaging design know-how, drawing on experience from its CleanStream plant in Leamington Spa in the United Kingdom and its packaging production facility in Randers, Denmark. The company intends to apply its knowledge, skills and expertise in manufacturing and designing food packaging using recycled materials.
The CRISP partnership is seen as a potentially significant contribution to the development of a circular plastics economy in Denmark. The project is being implemented at a time when the European Union has set a target of achieving a 55 percent plastics recycling rate by 2030. The regulatory framework defined in the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) stipulates that by the same year most plastic packaging should be designed for recyclability, so that materials can be effectively reused or processed.
Scope and objectives of the CRISP partnership
Within the CRISP partnership, the aim is to develop and advance a systemic solution that will enable the production of food-grade packaging from materials obtained through the recycling of post-consumer waste. Particular emphasis will be placed on documented traceability of food contact materials throughout the recycling cycle.
The project seeks to create a new, fully circular market for the recycling of food packaging using rHDPE and rPP recyclates. This includes both technological and organisational aspects related to separate collection, sorting, processing and reuse of materials in packaging applications.
Christian Bruno, R&D director for North East Europe at Amcor, highlighted the importance of collaboration across the value chain.
"Sustainability challenges require industry collaboration, and this partnership will demonstrate what can be achieved when the entire supply chain works together. We are proud to be part of a project that could have a significant environmental impact in Denmark and set new standards worldwide."
According to the partnership concept, collaboration is expected to be the main driver of change towards closing material loops for packaging. The approach also includes further development of mechanisms for documenting the pathway of food contact materials in the recycling system, in order to meet regulatory requirements and the needs of the food industry.
Link to EU regulations and the EPR system in Denmark
The work carried out under CRISP is aligned with the Danish Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme, which requires companies placing packaging on the market to bear the associated costs. The system also includes financial incentives that reward more sustainable product design and the selection of materials with higher recycling potential.
Christian Bruno pointed out that the project is consistent with the long-term objectives of European packaging regulation.
"The long-term goal is to establish circular loops for plastic food packaging, in line with the design guidelines resulting from PPWR. The European Union's objectives are driving the industry to ever higher standards; the project will create a strong business case for the entire value chain, while improving traceability of food contact materials in the recycling system."
Per Sigaard Christensen, business manager at the Danish Technological Institute, assesses the consortium's potential as important for the development of practical solutions.
"We are delighted to bring together such a knowledgeable and innovative consortium. This three-year project has the potential to provide a clear pathway towards the circular recycling of PE and PP food packaging."
CleanStream technology and processing capacity
One of the key elements of Amcor's contribution to the project is the CleanStream technology. This proprietary solution is based on mechanical recycling of household municipal waste and enables the production of high-purity plastics recyclate. The technology can operate within existing waste management infrastructures, limiting the need for additional installations.
Amcor's plant in Leamington Spa in the United Kingdom, which uses CleanStream technology, has the capacity to recycle nearly 40 percent of all polypropylene waste collected from domestic recycling bins in the UK. The resulting recyclates can then be used in the manufacture of new packaging, provided that quality and regulatory requirements for food contact packaging materials are met.
Experience from operating the Leamington Spa facility and from packaging production in Randers will be used in the Danish CRISP project. The consortium assumes that by integrating technological expertise with practical recycling operations and regulatory requirements, it will be possible to develop a circular model for food packaging based on rHDPE and rPP that may in future serve as a reference for other markets as well.
