Amcor’s CleanStream recycling technology has added two further industry distinctions to its portfolio, underscoring the growing recognition of advanced polypropylene (PP) recycling solutions within the packaging value chain. At the Plastics Industry Awards, CleanStream was named recycler of the year, while at the mrw National Recycling Awards the technology received the award in the packaging circular economy category. In addition, Amcor employee Miklos Argyelan, based at the company’s Norwich site, was recognised at the Plastics Industry Awards as apprentice or trainee of the year.
Beyond the two main awards, CleanStream was shortlisted in the Material Innovation category at the Plastics Industry Awards and for Recycling Facility of the Year at the mrw National Recycling Awards. These nominations highlight the technology’s positioning not only as a high‑performance recycling solution, but also as an example of infrastructure development in the mechanical recycling of PP packaging waste. The latest recognitions follow the earlier success of CleanStream in September, when it won the CSR Initiative category at the Luxe Pack in Green awards.
“We are thrilled that our CleanStream technology has received such great recognition from these prestigious industry awards,” said Nigel Purcell, plant director, Amcor CleanStream Leamington Spa. “The ability to produce the highest quality post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic is critical to ensuring that plastic continues to play a major role as the world transitions to a circular economy.” With this positioning, Amcor directly links high‑quality recyclate supply to the long‑term viability of plastics in packaging markets under increasing regulatory and consumer scrutiny.
High-purity PCR PP for packaging applications
CleanStream was conceived to produce post‑consumer recycled polypropylene with properties suitable for demanding packaging applications and to make this material available at scale to customers across the UK and Europe. By focusing on PP, the technology targets a significant packaging polymer stream and aims to increase the value of PP waste by converting it into high‑quality recyclate rather than low‑value outlets. In effect, CleanStream contributes to keeping PP resources in circulation for longer periods, which is consistent with circular economy principles promoted by policymakers and industry initiatives.
According to Amcor, the CleanStream facility in Leamington Spa currently recycles nearly 40% of all collected and sorted PP waste in the United Kingdom. This gives the site a central role in the country’s PP recycling infrastructure. The plant is described as state of the art and differs from conventional installations by replacing relatively simple sorting processes with multiple, more selective sorting stages. These include the use of artificial intelligence for automated identification, sorting and decontamination, with the aim of achieving very high levels of polymer purity in the final recyclate.
Achieving consistent polymer purity is presented as a key factor in enabling higher incorporation rates of PCR PP into new packaging. Amcor reports that the CleanStream process delivers recyclate with consistent physical properties and good aesthetics. These characteristics are important for brand owners that require packaging with high shelf impact, reliable mechanical performance and compatibility with existing converting processes. As a result, the company states that the polymer can be included in greater percentages in a wide range of pack types, including those with stringent requirements for appearance and functionality.
Regulatory and market drivers for recycled PP
The development and deployment of CleanStream take place against a backdrop of increasing regulatory and market pressure to reduce the use of virgin polymers in packaging. Amcor highlights that by using high‑quality PCR PP from CleanStream, brands can reduce the carbon footprint of their packaging compared with using virgin material, while also responding to growing consumer expectations for more sustainable solutions. At the same time, they can work towards compliance with regulatory frameworks such as the UK Plastics Packaging Tax and forthcoming requirements under the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) in the European Union, which are driving higher recycled content and improved recyclability.
The awards from the Plastics Industry Awards, mrw National Recycling Awards and Luxe Pack in Green collectively position CleanStream as a notable example of advanced PP recycling technology with recognised performance in both technical and corporate responsibility dimensions. From an industry perspective, the combination of AI‑based sorting, decontamination steps and a focus on polymer purity suggests an evolution beyond traditional mechanical recycling models, with the specific aim of delivering PCR suitable for use in higher‑value packaging applications rather than downcycled uses.
For converters and brand owners operating in the UK and European packaging markets, access to such material may facilitate higher PCR inclusion rates without compromising on functional or visual properties of finished packs. The recognition of CleanStream in both recycling and circular economy award categories indicates that stakeholders across the packaging and waste sectors view this type of infrastructure as an important component of the transition towards more circular plastics systems.
