TotalEnergies and Windmöller & Hölscher have renewed their collaboration to develop a recyclable pouch for oil and lubricant applications, aligning with a circular design approach. The solution uses a PE/PA multi-layer film that incorporates polyethylene grades from TotalEnergies' Lumicene and Lumicene Supertough ranges, combined with recycled content.
The structure contains 35 percent recycled polymer by weight through the use of TotalEnergies rPE 2206, a mechanically recycled post-consumer grade. Produced on Windmöller & Hölscher's Aquarex water-quenching technology, the film achieves a thickness of 170 μm. In comparison with a standard 1-liter HDPE rigid container that typically has a wall thickness of around 1000 μm, the pouch represents an 83 percent reduction in material use.
This development follows the companies' earlier work demonstrating the feasibility of a fully recyclable high-barrier stand-up pouch suitable for food applications. The current project extends that cooperation to the lubricants segment and underscores both companies' aim to advance circularity in flexible packaging.
The pouch will be exhibited at K 2025 in Düsseldorf from October 8 to 15 at TotalEnergies' stand E20 in Hall 6 and at Windmöller & Hölscher's stand A57 in Hall 17. The films will also be processed during Windmöller & Hölscher's inhouse expo in Lengerich from October 9 to 10 and 13 to 14.
Materials and recycled content
The pouch employs a recyclable PE/PA multi-layer construction. The polyethylene layers draw on TotalEnergies' Lumicene and Lumicene Supertough portfolios, while 35 percent recycled content is incorporated via rPE 2206, a mechanically recycled post-consumer grade. This combination is designed to maintain required performance for oil and lubricant packaging while supporting material circularity through the integration of recycled polymers.
Commenting on the approach, Olivier Greiner, Vice President, Polymers Europe & Orient at TotalEnergies, said: "This innovative oil and lubricant pouch illustrates our integral approach to polymer development: we rethink the use of plastics by designing recyclable materials, we reduce their impact by reducing thickness, and we foster circularity by integrating recycled polymers."
Processing and presentation
The film is produced on Windmöller & Hölscher's Aquarex water-quenching technology. The resulting 170 μm structure allows significant source reduction compared with a typical 1-liter HDPE rigid container with an approximate 1000 μm wall thickness. The partners will present the pouch at K 2025 on their respective stands, and Windmöller & Hölscher will process the films during its inhouse expo in Lengerich.
Dr. Torsten Schmitz, Managing Director Business Unit Extrusion at Windmöller & Hölscher, said: "This pouch is a tangible example of the industry's major megatrends: designing packaging for recyclability and integrating recycled materials into new products. Achieving this vision requires collaboration across the entire value chain. Only by working together can we close the loop and drive true circularity."
Picture of the oil and lubricant pouch developed by TotalEnergies and Windmöller & Hölscher
