GEA : A second life for flexible plastic packaging

According to research of the MacArthur Foundation (EMF), merely 14 percent of the plastic packaging used globally makes its way to recycling plants, while 40 percent ends up in landfill and only 1/3 in fragile ecosystems. By 2050, it is estimated there will be more plastic than fish in the world's oceans. Contributing to the transformation of global plastic packaging material flows is essential for each stakeholder of the plastics value chain.

Based on this claim, a consortium of leading technology companies, comprising of BOBST, BOREALIS, EREMA and HENKEL, hosted a Circular Packaging Event and of last year at GEA in Weert, The Netherlands. During this day experts from the industry presented the latest developments in The Full PE Laminate solution as well as other fully recyclable monomaterials and shared insights into recyclability properties and second life possibilities. One of the main innovations presented at the event is the brand-new barrier solution for fully recyclable monomaterial, suitable for flexible food packaging. The innovation was demonstrated on the GEA SmartPacker CX400. Guest speakers from the European Organization for the Packaging and the Environment (EUROPEN) and SUEZ, gave another dimension to the day and helped close the circle.