58 | Sustainable materialsMaterial recycling in IndiaAmit Shah, joint president and CMO at fexible packaging specialist UFlex, explains that the Indian government has introduced important directives for plastic and fexible packaging. In the past, plastic waste was ultimately incinerated instead of being recycled. Under EPR regulations the partners in the packaging chain would provide certifcation to brand owners based on the quantity of material disposed of.‘But now the regulation is different. It clearly emphasizes the element pertaining to recyclability. It has been clearly laid out that you have to recycle 70 percent of the plastic quantity that you’re buying.’ Ufex has set up a pilot recycling plant in Noida, and all its plants are equipped with plastic reprocessing facilities. Eco Flexibles has developed recyclable fexible packaging for Lantmännen UnibakeThe new version of the plastic waste management rules states that brand owners using biodegradable “The government has introduced clear directives materials will be absolved from their Extended Producer Responsibility for plastic and fexible packaging [in India]. The (EPR) obligations.Shah notes that in India 80 percent latest draft of the plastic waste management of the fexible packaging manufactured is for low-volume, low-cost packs, rules enforces the expectation from the brand meaning that plastic material becomes diffcult to collect for reprocessing. owners, producers and manufacturers”customers and brands on how to design reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Sun Chemical has collaborated with for recyclability. The company has developed products HP to launch more sustainable fexible In general, within the Americas market made from post-consumer waste, packaging produced with HP’s Indigo recycling infrastructure does have increased its range of biodegradable 25K digital press and Sun Chemical’s new limitations, says Drew. materials, and developed paper-based SunLam solventless lamination process. ‘So this is a consideration when working alternatives to plastic using its specialty As part of the partnership, Sun Chemical towards increasing recycling rates. production technology. and HP developed stand-up pouches Recycling capabilities and availability vary Lintec has also developed new printed on mono-material polyethylene from region to region. UPM is working approaches to encourage the recycling (PE) and polypropylene (PP) substrates and towards creating a better, more circular and reuse of plastic containers, including a laminated with Sun Chemical’s SunLam economy for plastics and paper packaging new generation of hotmelt adhesives that technology. The pouch was certifed by materials. Recycled content is generally do not contain any organic solvents and Germany’s Institute Cyclos-HTP for a calculated on a mass balance basis within will release from the container surface in recyclability rate of 96 percent.the PCR market, so what we can do is recycling systems. Lintec is also working Packaging manufacturer Coveris has ensure we have third-party validation of to establish a paper and flm release liner teamed up with one of the UK’s largest rice the percentage PCR content that we are recycling system. suppliers, Veetee, to launch fully recyclable using in our products.’ packaging called MonoFlexE, for Aldi’s She continues: ‘One other way to Flexible packaging goes green store-brand rice. With the new packaging, infuence this system is to ensure this Label converters diversifying into fexible Coveris supports the retailer’s target to high-value material stays within our packaging are often faced with using have all its own-label packaging certifed as value chain. As part of our strategy, we nonrecyclable multi-layer constructions. reusable, recyclable or compostable by the collaborate and want to continue to grow However, this situation is changing fast end of the year.in our partnerships with recyclers so that as suppliers of fexible packaging develop Previously packed in a nonrecyclable, we can work together to create a more more sustainable materials with similar OPP/PE mixed laminate, Aldi has switched circular economy.’ mechanical characteristics. to Coveris’ fully recyclable MonoFlexE Masaaki Yoshitake, executive general UK-based Eco Flexibles, for example, monomaterial PE/PE laminate packaging manager, printing and variable information has developed a recyclable surface-printed for its own-brand Worldwide Foods 1kg products operations at Lintec, says the mono-polymer flm for Lantmännen basmati rice and 1kg brown rice SKUs. The company is committed to reducing the Unibake, one of Europe’s largest move to MonoFlexE will enable about 30 consumption of plastic materials along with bakery groups. tons of flm to enter the plastic recycling labelsandlabeling.com