Recycling: LyondellBasell/AFA Nord in jv for recycling packaging waste; Dow/P&G China partner to enable recycling of air capsule e-commerce packaging

Chemical firm LyondellBasell and AFA Nord, a recycler of agricultural film, have agreed to create a 50:50 joint venture that intends to recycle post commercial flexible secondary packaging waste. The joint venture company, LMF Nord GmbH, plans to build a mechanical recycling plant in Northern Germany to turn LLDPE and LDPE waste into quality recycled plastic materials for use in flexible packaging. Start of production is expected for early 2025.

Secondary plastic packaging, such as stretch or shrink film, is mainly used to hold packed consumer goods together and protect them during transportation and storage from contamination and damage. Until today, this material is difficult to recycle into high-quality raw materials that can meet the requirements of the packaging industry regarding strength and transparency of their final product. 

The new recycling unit is expected to produce 26,000 tonnes/year of recycled LDPE and LLDPE grades that LyondellBasell will market through its CirculenRecover family of products for use in various applications from stretch films to collation shrink films. The CirculenRecover product family comprises a wide range of mechanically recycled materials that are currently used in applications ranging from electrical appliances, to washing detergent bottles and suitcases.

TM Recycling GmbH, a sister company of AFA Nord, will be responsible to provide the feedstock for LMF Nord GmbH. TM Recycling is also a member of the Mensing Group.

"We already operate Germany's only agricultural film recycling plant for a number of years and have a broad experience in the production of  recycled materials," says Andreas Mensing, managing director of AFA Nord. "Together with LyondellBasell we can contribute to a circular economy and increase the availability of recycled solutions for flexible packaging applications."

In other news, US materials firmDow has announced its collaboration with Procter & Gamble China (P&G China) for an all PE-materials air capsule e-commerce packaging, which is recyclable.

The air capsule packaging boasts benefits such as:

The companies add that the packaging design is also reliable and convenient for consumers, with features such as a tamper-free opening for content integrity, an easy-to-tear strip, and an auto-deflate feature for hassle-free disposal after opening.

E-commerce packaging typically consists of carton boxes as the outer packaging, with air cushion bags or bubble wrap inside to protect and stabilise the products during delivery. However, the traditional air cushion bag film structure is multi-material – such as nylon (to provide high gas barrier for extended shelf life), a tie-layer resin, and polyethylene – making it difficult to recycle through conventional methods.

Dow says its Elite AT high performance PE resins provide comparable gas barrier performance, allowing nylon to be removed from the formulation to create an all-PE mono material structure that enables recyclability of the packaging.

“The rise of e-commerce has inevitably generated an increase in packaging waste. At Dow, our role is to develop materials that enable better performing, sustainable packaging that is designed for recyclability from the start. Through our collaboration with P&G China, we not only meet the needs of consumer brands and e-retailers, but also enable consumers to do their part with materials that close the loop on packaging waste,” said Bambang Candra, Asia Pacific commercial vice president, Dow Packaging & Specialty Plastics.

“At P&G, we are focused on optimising our packaging design and committed to driving greater circularity in plastic packaging. Partnering with Dow has enabled us to make progress in our commitment toward achieving 100% recyclable or reusable packaging by 2030. The development of our air capsule e-commerce packaging is a step in the right direction, and we hope to continue collaborating with more partners to drive such impact at scale,” said Neo Yang, Packaging Innovation Leader, P&G China.

(PRA)

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