End of Life and Recovery

The October 2024 monitoring report for the RiVending project highlights the growing commitment to sustainability during Italians’ coffee breaks. Over the past year, more than 76.5 million plastic cups have been recycled, saving 523 tonnes of carbon dioxide. Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, and Veneto top the regional rankings, with 1.8 million, 1.5 million, and 1.1 million cups collected respectively in the past month alone.

By Giampiero Zazzaro

While the European Union has mandated that by 2030 all packaging must be industrially recyclable, signalling a shift towards a circular economy and transforming packaging from a disposable product into a continuous resource, NASA has its eyes set on a much broader horizon. It is now looking at the recycling of space waste, pointing us towards a future where the lifecycle of packaging could extend beyond Earth, turning waste into useful resources for space exploration. Are we ready for this leap into the unknown?

JFE (Jindal Films Europe) is investing in R&D and advanced production capabilities to create sustainable and recyclable films that meet the evolving needs of the market while reducing environmental impact. In this regard, Manfred Kaufmann, CEO of JFE, stated:

The packaging industry is increasingly taking a leading role in the transition towards a net-zero circular economy. To meet the growing demand for sustainable solutions, attention is turning to innovative technologies such as methane pyrolysis via electron beam plasma, a process that allows for the production of hydrogen without direct CO2 emissions.

Chemical recycling is an alternative to mechanical recycling used to meet ambitious recycling targets for plastic waste in the EU. This process converts polymeric waste by combining its chemical structure to produce raw materials for the manufacture of new products, avoiding the use of fuels or means of energy production. This process includes pyrolysis, which involves heating a polymer to a temperature of 400-600°C in the absence of oxygen to produce a mixture of hydrocarbons or a monomer.

Ecotwist is the new easy to open and recyclable packaging from John West, one of the leading tuna producers, which has decided to eliminate excess packaging from its products: no shrink wrap, no cardboard, just an aluminium strip that holds the two cans together, all fully recyclable.

Digimarc, a pioneer in digital watermarking technologies (digital watermarking that consists of embedding a data sample in an audio, image or film file), and Wipak, a provider of flexible packaging solutions for global markets, have announced a strategic partnership to help retailers and global brands implement an eco-friendly product packaging strategy.

Riccardo Cavanna has been confirmed as President of Ucima (the Italian Association of Automatic Packaging Machinery Manufacturers) for the period 2024-2026. This was the unanimous decision of the Annual General Meeting held on 5th June in Baggiovara, Modena, Italy.

Tetra Pak and Felli, an Italian manufacturer of wood composite materials (WPC) for decking, wall cladding and sunshades, have developed a new solution for exteriors, which by virtue of its distinctive composition combines aesthetic and sensory qualities with high technical performance.

The Valplast research project aims to implement an alternative to the current management of plastic packaging waste, in line with the principles of the circular economy. The initiative involves Aimplas, a technology and consultancy centre for the plastics industry based in Spain, and the Polytechnic University of Valencia.