Amcor expands recyclable packaging line

Swiss company calls its AmPrima bags and pouches “recycle ready.”

Switzerland-based packaging producer Amcor has announced two new applications for its AmPrima “recycle ready” packaging line for Europe. The polyethylene (PE) product line is being expanded for coffee and dairy products, Amcor says.

“The AmPrima range has already been proven to work for our United States customers, and we’re happy to now offer it in Europe,” says Noemi Bertolino, a vice president with Amcor. “For the latest applications in coffee and cheese, Amcor has run over 50 trials, and we are delighted to bring our customers a simple switch to more sustainable packaging. Fitting a wide range of packaging needs, the versatility of AmPrima demonstrates our commitment to ongoing innovation and finding more sustainable solutions where they previously did not exist.”

The company sees the new products as being in line with an upcoming EU packaging directive and with Amcor’s 2025 pledge to develop all its packaging to be recyclable or reusable and to increase the use of recycled content. AmPrima, the company says, is recycle-ready in most flexible PE packaging recycling streams.

The AmPrima range is designed according to Circular Economy for Flexible Packaging (CEFLEX) guidelines and is certified by the Germany-based Institut cyclos-HTP for recyclability.

New in April 2022 is AmPrima PE PLUS for roast and ground coffee. “Suited for all typical coffee pack formats and sizes, [the] full PE packaging is treated for thermal stability, allows easy transition on existing filling machines, and has an innovative barrier coating for product protection,” Amcor says.

According to Amcor’s analysis, AmPrima PE PLUS has the potential to replace more than 200 current nonrecyclable coffee packaging specifications.

Also launching in April is AmPrima PE PLUS for cheese, available in a variety of formats including flow wrap for hard cheeses, pouches for grated, and pouches for leak-prone cheeses such as mozzarella. “The launch of AmPrima PE PLUS for cheese will allow brands to choose a full PE solution with robust product protection that fits the requirements of most European PE recycling streams,” Amcor says.