Multilayered packaging prototype made of 100% recycled material is presented

BASF, Borealis, Südpack and Zott presented prototypes of food packaging made of 100% recycled material. To address the difficulty of recycling multilayer plastic packaging through mechanical recycling processes, BASF is working on advancing the chemical recycling of plastic waste within the ChemCycling project. This will enable the processing and reuse of previously non-recyclable plastics, such as mixed plastics. The multilayer packaging has barrier properties that protect mainly fresh and high quality foods, extending their service life and avoiding waste. "In collaboration with our partners, we produced for the first time a prototype of packaging made of chemically recycled polyamide and polyethylene. This shows that the recycling of multilayer packaging may happen soon, "explained Christoph Gahn, responsible for the polyamide business at BASF. This pilot project was made possible thanks to the collaboration between the four partners BASF, Borealis, Südpack and Zott. BASF provides chemically recycled polyamide, while Borealis supplies sustainably produced polyethylene. Südpack, one of the leading European producers of film Packaging for food products, uses these materials to produce multi-layered films for a specially sealed Mozzarella pack for Zott Gourmet Dairy. "What is special about this pilot project is that both components of the packaging – polyamide and polyethylene – are made of chemically recycled material," said Maurits Van Tol, senior Vice president of Innovation Solutions, technology and the Circular economy of Borealis. "This innovative solution has emerged thanks to the selection of special polymers. In addition, the collaboration between the companies involved made it possible, for the first time, to consistently certify each step of the raw material to the final packaging. " The raw materials for polyamide and polyethylene were produced in very small quantities as part of the ChemCycling project. The pyrolysis oil derived from plastic residues was supplied by a partner and fed at the Verbund production site of BASF in Ludwigshafen as raw material. According to the certified Mass balance method, both plastics have 100% share of recycled materials.