Procter & Gamble has licensed its newly developed solvent-based recycling technology, Flexloop, to Lindner with the goal of scaling up high-purity plastic recovery for flexible film packaging.
The Flexloop process removes impurities, odours, adhesives, and printing inks from used polyolefin films through a solvent-based extraction stage. According to both partners, this delivers recycled resin of such purity that it could be suitable for sensitive packaging applications in cosmetics and personal care.
The collaboration originated at the previous K trade show, where the two companies began discussions that led to an exclusive licence agreement for Lindner to industrialise P&G’s patented method. The technology is described as an extension of conventional mechanical recycling, combining familiar washing steps with a solvent phase that cleans without degrading the polymer.
Michael Lackner, CEO of Lindner Group, said:
“For us, Flexloop is a logical and necessary development in mechanical recycling and an extension of cold and hot washing.”
P&G’s Senior Vice President for R&D, Lee Ellen Drechsler, added:
“The licence of this plastic-to-plastic cleaning technology to Lindner is consistent with our corporate commitment to bring to scale technologies that can help address significant environmental challenges including the reduction of plastic waste and achieving a circular economy for materials.”
Lindner’s Washtec division noted that Flexloop can extract non-intentionally added substances (NIAS), odours, and contaminants from mixed post-consumer waste streams, producing recyclates that meet both legal requirements and the more demanding standards of brand owners.
P&G’s packaging sustainability team said the process could enable the use of recycled polyethylene film grades in applications that were previously restricted to virgin resin, advancing the goal of closing the loop for flexible packaging.
Industry analysts view the partnership as a milestone in efforts to make film recycling commercially viable, particularly for consumer goods segments that require stringent purity levels.
