A packaging company is teaming up with a resin maker and a large grocery store company on recycle flexible packaging for new food-grade applications.
A new collaboration among Sealed Air Corp., ExxonMobil Corp. and Ahold Delhaize USA plans to use chemical recycling and aims to divert flexible plastics from landfills, the companies said.
"The collaboration … will help increase the use of recycled content by validating the technical and economic viability of a certified circular system based on advanced recycling technology and mass-balance attribution," the companies said in an April 14 statement.
Mass balance is an approach where recycled content is mixed with virgin material during the manufacturing process. The recycled content is attributed to finished goods based on the amount of recovered material originally used.
"Flexible plastics will be designed to be collected, recycled and repurposed into new food packaging. The project will help keep used flexible plastics out of landfills, increase the number of times essential plastics can be recycled, and ensure the safety and quality of packaged foods," the companies said.
Work is slated to begin this summer.
"Advanced recycling is key to these valuable materials being collected and remanufactured," Sealed Air CEO Ted Doheny said in a statement. "Our collaboration with ExxonMobil is opening new recycling possibilities, and by partnering with leading retail group Ahold Delhaize USA, we are paving the way for our industry to protect perishable foods while creating a low-carbon, circular economy."
Ahold Delhaize's grocery stores in the United States include Food Lion, Giant Food, Hannaford and Stop & Shop.
"This relationship is an example of the value chain collaborations needed to enable a more circular economy," David Hergenrether, vice president of polyethylene at ExxonMobil, said in a statement.