A new method for separation & full recovery of multilayered packaging waste to create high value materials

The food manufacturing sector has been producing multi-layered packaging since the 1970s. Multi-layered packaging offers a combination of properties that one polymer alone cannot provide (e.g. moisture, oxygen, light barrier, stiffness, clarity, gloss etc); typically comprised of layers of PET/PP/PE/PA. Over 40m tonnes p.a. of multilayered plastics are produced globally, of which the EU contributes 9.6m tonnes, with an expected growth of ~7%. However, due to the extreme difficulties in achieving effective separation of the multi-layered packaging into its constituent solid polymer components, there are no current technologies or operational processing plants for solid separation & recovery of the polymer fractions. As a consequence, multi-layered, flexible plastic waste is currently collected as a single waste stream & disposed of through landfill (at costs of £100/t), or incinerated (~£60/t); generating global economic losses of £2.4-4 billion. Disposal of such large volumes of plastic also generates great environmental concern, with an urgent need to develop effective separation technology. Our objective is to develop a novel recycling method to separate multilayered plastic packaging waste. Successful development of this technology will create the business opportunity to recycle this material, generating new revenues while reducing waste, landfill, energy & reducing annual CO2 emissions. Our novel process will not only ensure the sustainable supply of these plastics as raw materials via recycling but will also provide participating SMEs with the opportunity to derive an ongoing income.