Packaging Innovations 2015

Manufacturers called into question on poor recycling figures on PET vs ultra-clear PP pots and trays

By Jenny Eagle

- Last updated on GMT

Paul Darby Milliken and Dan Jordan, (right) Boomerang Plastics
Paul Darby Milliken and Dan Jordan, (right) Boomerang Plastics

Related tags Recycling

Milliken and Boomerang Plastics opened the debate on recycling PET bottles and the advantages of ultra-clear polypropene (PP) pots and trays at Packaging Innovations in Birmingham last week.

Paul Darby, key account manager, Milliken and Dan Jordan, business development and commercial manager, Boomerang Plastics applaud PET recycling in closed loop bottles but claim not enough is being done with PET pots and trays and companies need to adopt PP materials instead.

Starbucks switches from standard PET cold cups to PP cold cups

As an example, Jordan highlighted how Starbucks tried to divert its cups from landfills by switching from standard PET cold cups to PP ones a few years’ ago.

Jim Hanna, director of environmental impact, Starbucks claimed at the time that companies will ‘call a product recyclable based on the materiality of that product’ but not necessarily on whether it gets recycled.

We appreciate a lot of materials in plastic packaging keep a product fresh and prevent leakage, but there are a number of types of plastics that fail in the recycling process, including thin walled products, flexible packaging, multi-layer packaging and oxo-biodegradeable plastics​,” said Jordan.

Also, heavy carded and paper labeled products, mixed polymer packaging, PET trays, pots and tubs and white PET bottles​.

Decisions being made at the top of the food chain by people with a limited knowledge of recyclability has had a knock-on effect on recycling and manufacturers need to look at the product material it is making to aid recyclability​.

Today, there is a much more varied mix of polymers. Some materials are great for recyclability whereas others are not so good​.”

EU Circular Economy proposal

Referring to the EU Circular Economy proposal, which was recently dropped by the European Commission​ First Vice-President Frans Timmermans for a more ‘ambitious approach’, Darby said the ‘Circular Economy is a big buzzword but recycling PP trays would help.’

The proposal was dropped because the new legislation didn’t take into account the whole circular economy and will focus more on packaging, the design of packaging and how designers can help the recycling industry by addressing products that can be recycled and be commercially viable​,” he said.

Out of 1.2m tonnes of plastic packaging bought by UK households, 551 kilotonnes (kt) of that are plastic bottles and 657kt are pots, tubs and trays​.

Only 59% (326kt) of plastic bottles and 21%, (138kt) of pots, tubs, and trays are collected. The percentage for recycling pots, tubs and trays has room for improvement and it needs to be addressed​.

The main challenge is the materials used to make all sorts of plastics, they have to be sorted individually and there are higher bale prices involved. A big concern therefore is in the product design to improve financial benefits and to encourage more local authorities to collect​.

We are not here to criticize PET, it has an excellent closed loop credentials in bottles, but we believe there is an issue in recycling PET trays. They are not recycled enough​.”

 Müller Wiseman Dairies & Hahn Plastics

Jordan said Boomerang Plastics was founded in 2011, to divert harder to recycle materials from landfill or RDF (Refuse Derived Fuel).

We initially specialised in dairy plastics but have now diversified. We process and wash materials from the UK and Europe and have just moved to new premises in Coleshill, near Birmingham. We work with companies including Müller Wiseman Dairies, Hahn Plastics, Aeroplas Plastic Injection Molding Service, ashortwalk, Sortology and Luxus​.

We need a central hub network for large companies to make recycling a success. To aid that the best resource to fund the logistics is a plastic that encourages source segregation because we need to know what the material is, its make-up and composition​,” he added.

Boomerang Plastics works with the University of Warwick on test packs to turn recycling into new products to show that it can be done and reused.

The higher the quality, the more markets you can access with better prices. It’s a second-hand commodity value if the products are dirty and mixed up​,” said Jordan.

Our wash plant takes materials that fit a certain criteria to hit targets, removal of light film, washing, drying, removal of aluminium foils, organic removal. Shredding, granulation de-packaging, hot and cold chemical washing and it cleans paper and label contamination that normally prevents the material from being used again.

The biggest problems right now for non-bottle packaging recyclers is PET trays. They are a problem to shift and they have to be handled in a separate area because of the contamination mix with normal plastics, there is no tangible market for them.

Recyclers do not want PET tubs because they are difficult to process, they can be bled into bottle flake lines but no more than 10% and this doesn’t provide a long term outlet​.

WRAP (UK Circular Economy and resource efficiency experts) is looking into developing a new market for PET trays but this takes time, it ticks certain boxes for a linear economy but not a circular economy​.”

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2 comments

PET trays are already recycled

Posted by J Baker,

PET trays are for 70 to 80% made out of recycled PET. PET is the only plastic that on larger scale can be recycled into the same application and avoid down-cycling. Recycled PP will never be used in clear PP trays again.

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PET trays - a large possible leap forward

Posted by dr. E.U. Thoden van Velzen,

In 2012 we already reported that making PET trays recycable would be the single best improvement measure for the Dutch postconsumer plastic packaging recycling system. Since then we have seen a few alternatives emerge; 1) partial hydrolysis and subsequent reaction with toluenediisocyanate to hard construction boards, 2) chemical recycling via the Ioniqa process or alternative processes and 3) mechanical crude recycling to non-food contact utensils.
The development of these routes take a lot of time. But on the other hand, can improve the overall performance of the plastic recycling system greatly, once achieved. In the Netherlands we have a littel bit more PET trays than PET bottles and flasks, so in case we would succeed to chemically recycle the PET trays back to food-grade PET, the circular recycling percentage (package-2-package) could double from roughly 10% to 20%. So the potential for improvement is enormous. Additionally, the recycling system costs would reduce slightly, as less material needs to be recycled as mixed plastics and more will be recycled as cost-neutral PET trays.

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