recycled

The inner layer of the sustainable bottle is 100 percent virgin high density polyethylene (HDPE), while the external layer is primarily made from PCR with an overall balance of 50% virgin PE and 50% PCR. The virgin HDPE inner layer and accurate selection of PCR assure product integrity and the visibility of the filled product level.   Additionally, all external components such as corner protectors, plastic feet or plastic pallets are produced with recycled polyethylene.

The first customer of the rEPS packaging is French firm Prevor, which is using the material for protecting medical products during shipping. Prevor claims that the rEPS packs enable the elimination of secondary packaging. A project with a manufacturer of cleaning equipment has also started in Germany.

Storopack has a fully integrated rEPS production process, whereby it handles the recycling and production of rEPS beads at its own factories.

INCREASING AWARENESS OF REUSE AND RECYCLING

The refill station pilot project is scheduled to last for six to eight months, with the aim of gathering experience together with the target group in order to find out which solutions make sense and are feasible for fostering a closed-loop economy. The Hamburg-based company plans to take further steps depending on how well the public responds to the new service.

Huhtamaki Flexible Packaging Europe is strongly committed to meeting this challenge for flexiblepackaging and, specifically, for laminated tube applications. ‘We recently succeeded in integrating the first quantities of recycled plastics into one of our standard plastic barrier laminate for tubes’, says Thomas Stroh, R&D Manager at Huhtamaki Flexible Packaging Europe. ‘This development brings us a major step closer to contributing to the EU’s packaging recycling targets for flexible packaging formats.’

The new toilet cleaner bottle stands out not only thanks to its convenience and ease of handling but also because of its sustainable properties: It is composed of 50% post-consumer r-PE. This product represents a valuable contribution to a sustainable circular economy, which both Henkel and Greiner Packaging want to foster. For example, the two project partners have signed the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment launched by the UK-based Ellen MacArthur Foundation.