European platform for improving beverage carton and packaging recycling EXTR:ACT has today (13 May) announced a further four projects dedicated to this cause.
Among the projects underway is Italian plastic fabrication company Ecoplasteam’s new recycling facility.
Dutch start-up Recon Polymers, Czech materials recycler Plastigram and German beverage carton recycling company Palurec will also be leading on projects to improve the separation of valuable non-fibre components (known as PolyAI rejects) from beverage cartons.
The projects will cumulatively aim to recycle 50,000 tonnes of non-fibre components from beverage cartons a year.
These components can be used in products such as plastic pipes, boxes or panels, while the aluminum from beverage cartons can be compounded and used in products such as motor blocks and metallic varnish.
Michael Brandl, Managing Director of EXTR:ACT, said: “With these projects, roughly 30 per cent of the European volume of these PolyAl rejects will now start being recycled in new material cycles, where, for example, the recovered plastics and aluminum can be used in different applications as a substitute for virgin material.
“Further expansion of these processing options is expected for the near future, underscoring the investment and innovative solutions being explored to ensure that the beverage cartons placed on the EU market remain the most sustainable packaging solution as outlined in the industry’s 2030 Roadmap.”
The Roadmap for beverage carton recycling was launched by the Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment (ACE) in March 2021, and sets out targets for beverage carton recycling to reach 70 per cent and achieve a 90 per cent collection rate by 2030.
The Roadmap outlines the industry’s commitment to delivering ‘the most sustainable packaging for resilient food supply systems which is renewable, climate positive and circular’.
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