is an initiative of Valipac
Unlike other types of packaging material, plastics are more difficult to collect and recycle. The term plastic actually refers to a multitude of polymers. Plastics are usually designated by the codes 1-6, which represent the main polymers used (1-PET, 2-HDPE, 3-PVC, 4-LDPE, 5-PP, 6-PS).
Plastics are widely used in all kinds of applications in various economic sectors (cars, electronics, packaging, etc.).
Although the use of plastic packaging only began in the second half of the last century, a plastic recycling industry has existed for many years.
The recycling process actually begins with the design: plastics comprising different polymers pose a challenge for recycling companies.
| Material | PE, HDPE, LDPE, LLDPE, MDPE, PP. Film with a content comprising >90% of these polyolefins. | PA, EVA | Multi-layer packaging, whether or not polymers. |
| Barrier/coating | No barriers are used. If this is unavoidable, SiOx/AlOx coatings should be used. | < 5% EVOH and < 15% PA of the total weight. | PVDC, PVC, PVOH, aluminium foil and non-polymeric barriers. |
| Printing/ink | Printing reduces the value of the materials used. If unavoidable, limit the printing to 10% of the total surface. | Dark colours. Printing > 10% of the surface | Inks containing elements excluded by the EuPIA list. |
| Additives | Process additives (Heat stabilisers, UV stabilisers, antistatic agents, lubricants) are generally compatible. Pigments: avoid the use of dyes, if unavoidable then use light colours. | Carbon Black pigments (Industrial films are sorted manually. The problem of detecting carbon black by Near Infrared (NIR) technology does therefore not arise). Dark colours. | Fillers (e.g. talc, CaCO3 and TiO2) which increase the density >1 g/cm³. |
| Binding layers | For multi-layer films, the binding layers are generally compatible. | Avoid acrylates and PU as binding layers. | |
| Labels | PE or PP labels are suitable for recycling. | Self-adhesive paper labels and plastic labels (d > 1 g/cm³) with water-soluble glue. Avoid using paper labels that lose fibre during the recycling process. | Labels of metal foil. |
Influence of printing on the quality of the recycled material.
Packaging is sometimes printed with a company logo, for example. The ink used for this will ensure that the recycled material no longer looks like virgin material. By limiting printing to a maximum of 10% of the total surface area, the appearance and transparency of the new films are retained.
| Structure | Diagram | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single layer | Mono-material |  |
The packaging consists of a single layer of material. An additive is a component which does not form a layer in itself and is a few nanometres (10-9m) thick. Some examples: printing, vapour-deposited aluminium, glue or coating. |
| Multi-layer | Mono-material |  |
The packaging is composed of several layers of the same type of plastic. In most cases, it is not necessary to apply a glue additive between the different layers. Example: sometimes the user does not want recyclate to come into direct contact with the product. In this case, the recyclate (rPE) is embedded by 2 layers of virgin PE during the extrusion process. |
| Multi-material (polymers) |  |
The packaging consists of several layers of plastic which are usually held together by means of a glue additive. It is most common in film applications. Example: a film with an oxygen barrier (EVOH) and printing which is protected with a layer of PP. | |
| Multi-material (whether or not polymers) |  |
The packaging consists of several layers of which one or more layers are not plastic. This structure is also most common in film packaging. Example: The aluminium layer ensures very good barrier properties which are necessary for packaging coffee, for example. The laminated PE ensures that the aluminium foil tears less quickly and that the packaging can be sealed. | |
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