Collaboration leads to launch of film packaging made with recycled plastic

Companies from across the flexible food packaging supply chain have partnered to launch a new snack packaging that contains 50 percent-recycled plastic and meets stringent food contact requirements.

The new packaging was launched in late 2023 in the United Kingdom and Ireland for Sunbites, a snack brand owned by PepsiCo. The packaging is made using an advanced recycling process—a complementary approach to mechanical recycling—that enables the recycled materials to satisfy the demanding European Union regulatory requirements for applications such as food-contact packaging, contact sensitive and medical devices.

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A number of companies were involved in developing the circular packaging:

• Germany-based GreenDot ensured the procurement and supply of postconsumer plastic packaging scrap, which was converted into a pyrolysis oil called Tacoil using Plastic Energy’s technology.
• London-based manufacturing company Ineos Olefins & Polymers Europe used the pyrolysis oil as an alternative to traditional fossil feedstock to first produce recycled propylene before turning this into virgin-quality recycled polypropylene (PP) resin at its plant in Lavera, France.
• Italy-based Irplast S.p.A., a producer of biaxially oriented PP films (BOPP), used the new resin to turn existing plastic packaging designs into new packaging films containing 50 percent-postconsumer-recycled materials and meet the food contact and performance requirements.
• Switzerland-based packaging developer Amcor transformed the films into printed packaging that delivers the same technical performance for PepsiCo.

Using the new PP films, PepsiCo launched the Sunbites packaging in the U.K. The partnership is part of PepsiCo Positive, the company’s program to eliminate virgin fossil-based plastic in crisp and chip bags in Europe by 2030.

“At PepsiCo, we are proud to work with our industry partners towards more sustainable packaging solutions,” says Archana Jagannathan, chief sustainability officer at PepsiCo Europe. “We are excited about the new Sunbites packaging in the U.K., and we look forward to learning from this pilot market and expanding it across more countries in the near future. Collaboration is key to progressing on our ambition to eliminate virgin fossil-based plastic in all our crisp and chip packaging in Europe by the end of 2030.”

According to Ineos, the recycled polymer content is certified under the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC Plus) scheme.

Ineos says the upcoming EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) is expected to set out ambitious targets for recycling packaging waste for 2025 and 2030 across a range of materials and recycled content targets for plastics. The company adds the development of the new packaging demonstrates that advanced recycling technologies can play a critical role in meeting the growing demand for the safe, circular use of recycled materials in food contact products, helping the EU achieve its 10 percent-recycled content objective for contact-sensitive plastic packaging by 2030, as well as help to reduce total emissions.

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“Ineos Olefins & Polymers Europe is delighted to play a part in this innovation from PepsiCo,” says Rob Ingram, Ineos Olefins & Polymers Europe North CEO. “Successfully producing high-quality food contact packaging from plastic waste demonstrates that, alongside mechanical recycling, advanced recycling is vital for creating materials that can be used in demanding applications.

“We look forward to working with partners to leverage the range of solutions our business has invested in to accelerate packaging circularity. Examples include our Recycl-IN hybrid polymer range and new pilot line for fully recyclable machine-direction orientation films.”