AN international collaboration to provide independent, scientific data linked to design, sortability and mechanical recyclability of flexible packaging has published its first report – with a focus on Near Infrared (NIR) technology.
The report provides data to boost circular design decisions, based on testing of a unique set of 240 samples and over 100 structures.
Led by the Circular Economy for Flexible Packaging (CEFLEX), the initiative clarifies how a NIR sorting device sees flexible packaging, understands a range of material structures and classifies them into different recycling streams.
CEFLEX worked with stakeholders from across the value chain to assemble the packaging material samples for testing. Academic partners and test centres in Germany and The Netherlands collaborated to deliver the programme, which was co-funded by UK Research & Innovation’s Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging Challenge, delivered by Innovate UK. The principal results and data are available in an open-source report for download: guidelines.ceflex.eu
“NIR is an established key technology for sorting plastics across Europe, so rigorous, independent data of exactly what it can – and cannot – achieve is essential,” said project coordinator Graham Houlder. “As a result of this research, specific cases or thresholds where materials and elements of the packaging structure can disrupt sorting are clearly established.
“These insights are being shared openly to boost industry knowledge and will enhance our ‘Designing for a Circular Economy’ (D4ACE) guidelines. Designers of flexible packaging now have a new level of detail on exactly how to achieve the best outcomes.”
CEFLEX design lead, Liz Morrish, added, “In addition to establishing exactly how NIR sees packaging structures, the data shows how orientation, layer sequence, and opaque and reflective materials – such as carbon black, metallisation, aluminium, paper – can affect the sorting outcomes and at what thresholds.”
Testing demonstrated that, for many multi-material multi-layer structures, the NIR spectrum contains information about all layers of the structure. The report also reveals thin layers such as adhesives, coatings and most inks generally do not influence the sorting results.
The publication is part of a testing programme with a network of laboratories, universities and industry experts to generate ‘open-source, robust and independent’ data to strengthen flexible packaging design guidance. Future results assess the impact of size and shape on sorting and mechanical recyclability of flexible packaging structures.
