Syensqo, a leading provider of advanced high-performance materials and chemical solutions, has successfully completed an ambitious project demonstrating that multi-layer food packaging containing Ixan polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC) can be effectively recycled into raw materials for other applications within a polyethylene (PE)-based waste stream. The trials were conducted by CSI, a recognised provider of testing and certification services for controlled environments and part of the IMQ group.
Federico Baruffi, Global Marketing Manager Packaging at Syensqo, stated:
Recyclability is the main requirement for food packaging nowadays. Multilayer films possess outstanding properties and are essential in food packaging, having a strong positive environmental impact by reducing food waste. However, due to their particular composition and structures, they have previously been considered impractical for mechanical recycling, which is the most common method in the industry. Our tests have now demonstrated that film structures using our Ixan® PVDC product are fully compatible with existing mechanical PE recycling. Notably, the resulting recycling can give used food packaging a second life in other applications and open new opportunities for sustainable material management without the addition of any stabilizers.
PVDC is well known for offering the best oxygen and water vapour barrier in food packaging. The tests were carried out on high-barrier packaging for meat, using PE/EVA/Ixan/EVA/PE multi-layer films, whose impact on the recycling process was compared to a reference sample consisting of real flexible packaging waste.
The trials were conducted in accordance with EN 13430, which defines the requirements for packaging material recycling in Europe. The multi-layer structures with Ixan PVDC passed all tests without any critical issues during grinding, washing/drying, extrusion/pelletising, and injection moulding, even at temperatures of 220°C.
The project has clearly demonstrated that multi-layer food packaging containing PVDC can be mechanically recycled using an open-loop approach alongside PE waste, enabling the efficient, flexible, and sustainable reuse of the recycled material in injection-moulded items such as plant pots, pallets, and benches. This is a significant achievement, in line with European Community initiatives aimed at increasing the percentage of plastic packaging that is effectively recycled across Europe.
