Aquapak joins WRAP and UK Plastics Pact

United Kingdom-based polymer material technology developer Aquapak Polymers Ltd. has joined WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme), the climate action nongovernmental organization (NGO) working globally to tackle the causes of the climate crisis and give the planet a sustainable future.

Through this membership, Aquapak also will join the U.K. Plastics Pact, which brings together businesses from across the plastics value chain with U.K. governments and NGOs to tackle the issue of plastic waste. Aquapak adds PACT members are committed to eliminating problematic plastics, reducing the total amount of packaging on supermarket shelves, stimulating innovation and new business models and helping build a stronger recycling system in the U.K.

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Aquapak has developed and commercialized Hydropol, a specialty environmental polymer that allows product design to support the circular economy by enabling recycling and delivering multiple end-of-life options. The company says the polymer is designed to be an alternative to traditional plastics, offering their versatility and functionality but without harming the environment.

The company says Hydropol, developed and manufactured in the U.K., is soluble, nontoxic and marine safe, and products made with Hydropol are safe for existing recycling processes, are fully biodegradable and a safe environmental solution.

Aquapak says Hydropol can be used on its own or in combination with other materials to enhance recyclability, compostability and end-of-life options. Its material properties allow for scalability into diverse types of products and its solubility makes it easy to separate from other materials when recycling. For example, the company says it can be extrusion coated onto paper or board, giving strength and barrier properties against oxygen, oil and grease, then made into a multitude of different applications.

The company adds consumers can dispose of the coated paper or board by putting the packaging into their household paper waste, as the Hydropol layer is formulated to dissolve during the paper repulping process and then either biodegrades in the wastewater system or is turned into clean energy if the plant has an AD system.

“The time is right for us to join WRAP and the U.K. Plastics Pact,” Aquapak Chief Technology Officer John Williams says. “We have developed a solution in Hydropol which can play an active role in meeting the commitments of Pact members, helping reduce plastic waste and delivering products which support the circular economy thanks to its recyclability and biodegradability. We look forward to collaborating with industry members to help accelerate change and create a new generation of materials and packaging with positive end-of-life options.”