The COtooCLEAN demonstration plant has been launched at Coveris' ReCover site in Lincolnshire, UK. It was developed by Nextek in partnership with Coveris and with support from the Alliance to End Plastic Waste. The project, announced last year, has now entered full operation and marks another stage in the development of advanced recycling for flexible films. The plant is intended to demonstrate a purification technology that makes it possible to convert post-consumer polyolefin film waste, PE and PP, into high-quality recycled resin for food-contact applications. According to the project participants, the current operational phase is an important preparatory step in addressing one of the industry's more difficult challenges, namely safe and compliant recycling of post-consumer flexible packaging for food-grade applications.
COtooCLEAN was developed by Nextek and scaled up in cooperation with Coveris. Its purpose is to remove contaminants embedded in the structure of plastic films, which remain a challenge for conventional mechanical recycling. The process uses supercritical carbon dioxide extraction, which enables penetration into the polymer structure and the removal of oils, odours and substances remaining from previous use that standard mechanical processes cannot fully eliminate. According to Edward Kosior, founder of Nextek, the high purification efficiency of COtooCLEAN can provide an important complementary step that enables higher-quality recycled materials and brings true circularity for flexible films closer.
Importance for recycling food-contact packaging
The demonstration plant is intended to confirm that a higher level of decontamination can increase the availability of food-grade recycled materials. This is expected to happen both through support for regulatory compliance and through reducing dependence on virgin materials. The facility, described by the partners as the first of its kind, was built with financial support from the Alliance to End Plastic Waste. This is expected to allow the project to enter its industrial phase, which will begin in April 2026.
The industrial phase is intended to provide operational experience on a larger scale and generate the data required to obtain European regulatory approvals. At the same time, the project is expected to demonstrate the scalability of the solution and its commercial viability. Industrial-scale trials will begin in April 2026 and are intended to deliver the two years of data required by European regulators. At the same time, the technology will be presented to industry representatives.
Statements from the project partners
Bernhard Mumelter, Group Innovation Manager at Coveris Group, commented: "This project marks the next step in advancing Coveris' No Waste vision, in which ReCover plays a central role in keeping plastics circular. With COtooCLEAN now fully operational, we are taking an important step in preparing to solve the food-grade recycling challenge for flexible films. Together with our advanced de-inking technologies, this innovation strengthens our mechanical recycling capabilities and opens the next phase of solutions for more demanding applications."
Jacob Duer, President and CEO of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, said: "COtooCLEAN has the potential to improve both the rate and quality of flexible plastics recycling. This demonstration plant is an important step in validating the technology and supporting its path to wider deployment. It also reflects the Alliance's commitment to advancing practical, scalable solutions. By accelerating innovation and working with partners across the value chain, we are working to turn progress into real systems change."
