Globalpu News:

● Bringing packaging waste back to life in personal care applications

● Recyclable design: colorless bottle using 100% post-consumer recycled material (PCR), with a full-body shrink sleeve printed with deinking

● Enables full sorting in current recycling infrastructure

● Innovations announced ahead of K 2022: gradual roll-out of individual solutions directly to the market, such as additives, post-consumer recycled materials and suitable inks

Promote the development of circular plastic packaging. In a first unique collaborative project for the personal care industry, Clariant, Siegwerk, Borealis and Beiersdorf are combining their expertise to tackle the possibility of developing a cosmetic product based on 100% recycled plastic packaging waste. The challenges of recycling consumer packaging. The pioneering initiative, called 'Design4Circularity', is providing innovation and insights into different design fields, thereby encouraging other interested parties to follow circular design concepts as well.

The cross-industry collaboration aims to set new standards for the industry by incorporating full lifecycle thinking into every development step, enabling true circular packaging. Circular packaging helps reduce plastic waste, use less virgin plastic, and lower the impact on the climate, all key challenges facing the planet.

Richard Harris, Chief Technology and Sustainability Officer, Clariant Haldimann said: “This collaboration is possible because all players are committed to a circular economy and have a comprehensive understanding of the relevant plans at the company-wide level and the systems involved. Achieving circularity requires a complete transformation of products. Packaging and packaging raw material design, taking into account sortability, recycling and packaging longevity.”

Stefan, Technical Director of Siegwerk Brand Cooperation Haep added: “Our program leads the way in uniquely assessing the recyclability of every design parameter, from additives to bottle materials to inks, we understand industry capabilities, potential gaps and proof of feasibility to create a A practical final recyclable solution.”

Our task was to design a packaging solution that would create cleaner renewable waste and reuse it in the cycle of high-value applications. In addition, consumers' requirements for high-quality visual effects and unique appearance of cosmetic packaging and brands should also be considered.

To achieve all these factors, the innovation program revolves around 100% Colorless polyolefin bottle for PCR ingredients with printed deinkable shrink sleeve throughout. All materials are technically fully recyclable and have renewable potential for the same high-value applications.

Stefan, packaging expert from Beiersdorf Rüster also said: "We follow ambitious sustainability goals, including a vision for fully recyclable resources. Design4Circularity packaging solutions are groundbreaking for future cosmetic applications. Thanks to the hard work and innovation of all involved partners , we have successfully combined the high design requirements of cosmetic packaging with full recyclability. We are very proud of this achievement and hope it inspires our peers to continue the journey.”

Peter, Global Commercial Director, Borealis Consumer Products Voortmans concludes: "Transitioning to a circular economy is a team effort. only working with like-minded partners can shape a future that's 'never forgotten'. The program starts with packaging design, combined with the right sorting and recycling infrastructure, Through this collaboration, we recreate the elements of sustainable living."

Recyclable design

Key design parameters include polymer and additive composition, shrink sleeve and body material selection, sleeve material sortability and deinkability, recyclability, and PCR quality.

To bring packaging waste back to life, packaging materials need to retain their highest value over multiple life cycles. To this end, Borealis provides solutions based on Borcycle™ The high-quality PCR of M's proprietary technology brings its expertise in advanced transformative physical recycling technologies. Clariant, on the other hand, offers additive solutions designed for physical recycling to ensure targeted additions that protect PCR quality by preventing polymer chain breakage during each recycling step. This creates a suitable high-value PCR material that has repeatedly set the high standard for consumer packaging related to personal care. This recyclable solution also focuses on a colorless vial option to improve PCR quality after recycling.

In order to differentiate the packaging while using colorless bottles, the collaborative project decided to use full-bottle shrink sleeves as the ideal way to achieve the unique designs of each brand. Leading ink manufacturer Siegwerk is able to provide ink systems that, in cooperation with Beiersdorf and a bottle cover manufacturer, enable full bottle, colorful and attractive cosmetic bottle cover solutions. In addition, the new ink composition chosen is designed to allow deinking of the bottle sleeves during the recycling process, thereby increasing the recyclability of the packaging. The bottle/shrink sleeve combination is designed to facilitate separation in material recovery facilities.

The first sorting trial in an existing recycling infrastructure demonstrated the sortability of full-bottle HDPE bottles, enabling high recycling rates of bottle material. In addition, the project team also conducted trials with full sleeve clear PET bottles and achieved similar results.

To achieve the ultimate goal of a circular economy, sorting technology needs to be further improved so that colorless bottles can be reborn in colorless applications and retain their highest value. Technologies such as digital watermarking or artificial intelligence can help achieve these SDGs.