Amcor lends support to Danish plastic recycling project

Global packaging producer Amcor PLC, Zurich, recently announced its support of a three-year plastic recycling project led by the Danish Technological Institute.

The co-funded partnership, Circular Recycling Innovation for Sustainable Packaging (CRISP) aims to establish the full-scale circular recycling of food packaging in polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) rigid plastics from household collection. Amcor says it will be joined by major food manufacturers and waste management specialists on the project.

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Amcor says it will bring recycling and technical expertise from its CleanStream facility in Leamington Spa, United Kingdom, and its packaging production facility in Randers, Denmark, using its abilities to design and produce food packaging with recycled content.

The CRISP partnership has the potential to significantly contribute to the implementation of a circular plastic economy in Denmark, Amcor says, adding that the project aligns with the European Union’s target of a 55 percent plastic recycling rate by 2030. The packaging producer notes that the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) stipulates that by the same year, the majority of plastic packaging must be designed for recyclability.

“Sustainable challenges require industry collaboration, and this partnership will demonstrate what can be done when the supply chain comes together,” says Christian Bruno, R&D director for Northeast Europe at Amcor. “We are proud to be part of a project that could potentially have a significant environmental impact in Denmark and set new standards worldwide.”

Amcor says it anticipates the CRISP partnership will help develop and mature a systemic solution to deliver food-grade packaging from postconsumer sources. The company says collaboration is the driver for this change and focus also will be applied to the documented traceability of food-contact materials in the recycling loop. The goal is to create a new, fully circular market for packaging made with recycled high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and PP.

The project also aligns with Denmark’s extended producer responsibility (EPR) program, Amcor says. The scheme obligates producers to pay for the packaging they place on the market while also offering financial incentives for more sustainable product design and material selection.

“The long-term goal is to establish circular loops for food plastic packaging aligned with the design guidelines from the PPWR,” Bruno says. “The EU’s goals are driving this industry to greater highs; the project will make a strong business case for the entire value chain, with improved traceability of food-contact materials in the recycling system.”

According to Amcor, its proprietary CleanStream technology mechanically recycles domestically recovered household materials into high-purity recycled plastic and can operate within existing waste management infrastructures. In the U.K., Amcor’s Leamington Spa facility has the capacity to recycle nearly 40 percent of all U.K. PP scrap collected from domestic recycling bins, the company claims.

Additional CRISP partners include Svensk Plaståtervinning, Aage Vestergaard Larsen, Pharma-Tech A/S, Arla Foods amba, Nestlé Nordics, and VANA.