DSM, APK to work on recycling multilayer food packaging films

As concerns about the sustainability of plastics grow and demand for recycled materials rises, Royal DSM has launched a project aimed at tackling the issues surrounding the recycling of both post industrial and post consumer mixed plastics waste, in particular end-of life multilayer food packaging films.

DSM Engineering Plastics, part of the materials arm of the Netherlands-based Royal DSM, announced July 24 that it was joining forces with German recycling company APK AG to advance a new, solvent-based physical recycling technology developed by the German recycler that enables the different polymer types in multi-layer plastics and mixed plastic waste to be separated. 

Called Newcycling, the technology is claimed  to be capable of recovering “high-quality re-granulates with properties close to virgin plastics”, from complex mixtures and multi-layer composites.

DSM will be contributing to the materials and applications development, an APK spokeswoman told Plastics News Europe without giving further details.

Many multilayer barrier films for food packaging consist of a combination of polyethylene and nylon 6, where PE acts as a barrier for moisture and nylon as a barrier for oxygen.

The multilayer structure allows for thin and economical packaging solutions that extend the shelf life of the packaged food in a way that is not achievable with a mono-material PE film, since the layer thicknesses to achieve sufficient barrier properties would become too high.

The addition of PA6 in the multi-material solution reduces the total layer thickness significantly and improves the mechanical integrity of the film, resulting in less rupture of the films during transportation and logistics.

While the multilayer packaging adds to shelf life and reduces food waste, it is difficult to recycle due to the combination of materials used in the film.

APK is currently building a plant in Germany for recycling multilayer PE/PA6 packaging, using the Newcycling process.

The new facility will be located in Merseburg, where APK is already running another recycling plant.

The “multilayer recycling” unit will have an 8,000-tonne annual capacity and start-up is scheduled for the final quarter of this year.

According to the company spokeswoman, APK has plans – currently in the conceptual phase – to build further facilities with partners in the future.

The Leipzig, Germany-based recycler announced last year plans to set up five plastics recycling plants in Europe and South Asia by 2025.