The partnership will focus on the development of new chemical recycling methods for flexible packaging products
Flexible packaging solutions provider Scholle IPN has collaborated with chemical plastic recycler OBBOTEC. (Credit: Scholle IPN)
Flexible packaging solutions provider Scholle IPN has entered into a partnership with the Netherlands-based chemical plastic recycler OBBOTEC to develop viable recycling streams for flexible packaging.
Under the deal, the companies will focus on the development and testing of new chemical recycling methods for flexible packaging products such as pouches and bag-in-box.
The developments of OBBOTEC in integrated hydro-pyrolysis and selective plastic extraction methods will help provide advanced solutions to address the plastic waste management problem and boost the circularity of plastic packaging.
OBBOTEC offers two recycling methods – Hydrocat technology and Selective Plastic Extraction (SPEX) technology.
The SPEX technology will use a dissolution process to recycle in a circular manner. It will help create a plastic-to-plastic system using both PE and PP materials, increasing yields and minimising energy across the process.
OBBOTEC’s SPEX method of recycling also allows to deal with tough materials such as mixed plastics, multi-layer films, laminates, and foils, as well as upgrade the resulting material into near-virgin plastic granules.
Hydrocat technology is a third-generation hydrocracking process, which converts a mix of biological and plastic waste into distillates such as marine gas oil (MGO) and naphtha crude oil.
The technology helps to turn products ending in landfills into useable fuel products.
Scholle IPN president and CEO Ross Bushnell said: “The team at Scholle IPN is focused on the sustainable supply of films, fitments, and equipment for flexible liquid packaging.
“We do that by engineering our products to align with the key principles of circular economics: source reduction, material reuse, and recycling.
“The packaging industry has much work to do in order to achieve true circularity, but we believe that the technology and processes OBBOTEC employs will help us to significantly improve in this area and, in turn, to make positive strides with respect to our impact on Earth’s climate and resources.”
In March this year, Scholle IPN wrapped the acquisition of Bossar, which offers horizontal form-fill-seal equipment for the production of flexible packaging formats such as spouted pouches, zippered pouches and sachets.