Recycling: Arkema adds 40% recycled content in powder coating resins; VTT/University of Vaasa partner to build reusable packaging systems in Finland

Speciality materials firm Arkema has announced a breakthrough in new manufacturing processes that integrate up to 40% post-consumer recycled content from end-of-life packaging products into its powder coating resins.

Powder coating is a solvent-free, low-waste technology, which can now be made more circular by including recycled content. Arkema's new recycled based powder resin innovation uses post-consumer PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) coming from end-of-life packaging as an alternative to traditional fossil based raw materials to create products containing up to 40% recycled PET and reducing PCF (Product Carbon Footprint) by up to 20%.

"Alongside our Bio-based and Mass Balance offers, increasingly incorporating recycled feedstocks is another step towards ensuring more circular high-performance solutions and a more sustainable lifestyle. Arkema's new recycled based powder resins further enrich sustainable solutions for our partners, enabling end markets to increase the percentage of recycled content in their finished products," said Richard Jenkins, Sr. Vice President, and member of the Executive Committee.

In other news, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and the University of Vaasa have initiated an extensive research project, in collaboration with 21 stakeholder organisations, to pioneer the development of reusable packaging systems in Finland. This initiative, aimed at accelerating packaging reuse, could potentially tap into an export market of EUR1.45 billion by 2035.

The consortium brings together major players such as Finland's leading retail giants S Group and K Group, plastic companies Borealis and Orthex, waste management and treatment specialist organisations such as Lassila & Tikanoja and, for example, food and multiservice company Compass Group Finland.

Due to the growing consumption of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and food take-away, the demand for single-use packaging has increased, leading to global waste management challenges. According to Eurostat, between 2009 and 2020, the total quantity of packaging waste generated in the EU rose by 20%, now 80 million tonnes and 178 kg per EU citizen. Without a drastic change, the amount of packaging waste will increase by a further 19% by the year 2030.

The 30-month co-innovation research project named Reusify is mainly funded by Business Finland. It aims to develop reusable packaging systems and help reduce the use of packaging materials, fossil-based materials for packaging, and packaging waste. The total budget of the project is roughly EUR2 million. Thanks to this initiative, Finnish companies in all key sectors could potentially reach an export market of EUR1.45 billion by 2035.

"The transition from single-use to reuse in packaging is a major shift toward a circular economy. It demands a systemic, multi-level perspective on business practices that is only possible with a robust partnership model that engages the entire value chain, from package producers to logistics, retail, maintaining packages and waste management," says Ali Harlin, VTT’s research professor.

"The research will explore various reuse dimensions, including the ecosystems and business models of reuse, the design of reuse systems, circular packaging solutions, and the sustainability scenarios and trade-offs. Additionally, we will also analyse consumer experience and acceptance," says Senior researcher Kyösti Pennanen from the University of Vaasa.

The research project is not just about developing reusable packaging systems. It's about creating new competence and export potential for a wide range of Finnish industry actors. From packaging raw materials and packaging itself to tracking, machinery, logistics, cleaning, filling, labelling, and software solutions.

The Reusify project interlinks to Borealis SPIRIT Veturi-program. It also has six parallel projects that examine the critical components of the future value chain for a reusable packaging system in Finland.

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