RecyClass, a cross-industry plastic recycling initiative, has published its Recyclability Evaluation Protocol for PP (polypropylene) in guidance for carrying out laboratory analysis of the various design features of rigid packaging made from PP resin. The organisation explained that the ultimate objective is to establish the level of compatibility of a given product with the PP recycling stream. “Recycling of PP containers remains unexploited, advancing its recyclability adds to increasing the potential of this stream and is a long-awaited step that shall be valued if we are to reach the recycling targets,” said Werner Kruschitz, Chairman of the RecyClass PP Technical Committee. The aim of the Protocol is to guarantee recyclability of PP containers as well as to support innovation in the PP market. It provides a detailed laboratory procedure on how to perform pre-treatment, extrusion, and conversion tests. RecyClass said that the tests in turn will demonstrate whether the technology or product submitted for approval will have a negative impact on the recycling process. This Protocol does not include guidance on the sortability tests of a component. “It is an important development which is paving the way towards circularity of PP packaging. It provides brand owners and packaging producers with a laboratory procedure that measures recyclability of their technologies and shows the main points for improvement,” commented Nico Van de Walle, Product & Circular Economy Manager at Verstraete IML (Multi-color Corporation) and RecyClass PP Technical Committee Representative. With the goal of providing a structured and scientifically based framework for the evaluation of plastic packaging innovation, RecyClass said that it will continue its work on developing guiding documents for other type of packaging.
