AIMPLAS, in collaboration with Covinil and Eroski, is spearheading the BOTTLE4FLEX Project, an innovative initiative aimed at creating 100% recyclable flexible skinpack containers made from recycled PET (rPET). The project addresses the pressing challenge of recycling multilayer packaging in the food industry while aligning with the European Union’s Circular Economy Strategy, which mandates all plastic packaging to be fully recyclable by 2030.
Multilayer PET packaging, widely used for its protective and visual appeal, currently cannot be recycled using conventional mechanical methods due to its complex composition. This issue is particularly critical in Spain, where regulations restrict the use of recycled materials in food packaging for safety reasons, allowing only rPET to be used for post-consumer food-grade applications.
The BOTTLE4FLEX Project aims to solve these challenges by leveraging advanced chemical recycling and polymerization technologies. The consortium is developing innovative solutions such as solvolysis processes for PET recycling and reactive extrusion techniques to modify and enhance the material’s properties. This research focuses on creating single-material rPET films with the flexibility, barrier properties, and heat-sealing capacity required for food-grade skinpack packaging.
Skinpack packaging, which tightly adheres to the contours of food products, provides a 3D display for an enhanced consumer experience while ensuring product freshness. Despite its popularity among producers and retailers for its efficiency in storage and transport, its multilayer composition has hindered recycling efforts, creating an urgent need for sustainable alternatives.
This project is supported by Spain’s Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities and funded through the European Union’s Next Generation funds as part of the Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan. The goal is not only to develop recyclable skinpack solutions but also to establish new circular production models for plastics, ensuring the efficient use of recycled materials in line with sustainability targets.
By focusing on innovations in rPET recycling and material enhancement, the BOTTLE4FLEX Project has the potential to transform flexible food packaging into a sustainable and circular solution.
