Henkel’s laundry detergents are being packaged in mono-material films featuring 30% PCR, developed by Korozo Group and Ecoplast to be recycled in line with the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation.
Ecoplast, a member of the Borealis Group, provided the PCR content. Its LDPE recycled materials are ISCC Plus and EuCertPlast-certified, meaning the recycled content can be tracked and traced throughout the value chain.
The Borcycle CWT100VL grade was used to produce the packaging, as its low gel level is believed to unlock high optical and printing quality – improving its shelf appeal and unlocking the mechanical properties needed to keep the product safe.
Korozo was then responsible for extruding the PCR content into mono-material constructions and printing them on its high-end presses and pouch-making lines.
Now Henkel has applied the resultant packaging to its laundry detergent brands, such as Persil. The new packaging is already available in Central Eastern Europe.
As the upcoming Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation is set to mandate minimum recycled content in plastic packaging – including 35% PCR content in recyclable films by 2030 – and require all packaging sold on the EU market to be recyclable, Korozo hopes that its solutions will help brands comply with these rules.
“We’re delighted to have contributed our expertise as a global leader in flexible packaging to the creation of this innovative, circular solution,” said Fatih Imre, technical account manager, Consumer Packaging at Korozo Group. “Collaboration throughout the value chain is essential to delivering sustainable packaging solutions and transitioning to a circular economy.
“Brands need solutions they can rely on, and consumers want straightforward options that enable them to be more sustainable. Mono-material packaging that is designed for recycling is the answer to both of these needs.”
Korozo recently received a PAGÇEV Plastics Recycling Award for the project under the Plastic Packaging and Packaging Materials category; it has also been nominated for an award in the Turkish Packaging Manufacturers Association’s Crescents and Stars for Packaging Competition 2024.
“Such a level of recognition confirms and celebrates our commitment to innovation and sustainability,” said Selin Bahar Mesulam, Non-Food Flexibles unit director at Korozo Group. “We thank Henkel and Borealis for their collaboration and our incredible team for their hard work to make this accomplishment possible.”
Fatih added: “Our sustainability policy is guided by an awareness that the planet and its natural resources belong to society as a whole and future generations. This successful transition represents a milestone in the journey away from fossil resources and towards a circular economy.”
After displaying the solution at FACHPACK 2024, Korozo Group, Borealis, and Henkel will come together to present the results of their collaboration at the Sustainability in Packaging Europe conference in Barcelona, Spain, taking place on 8th – 10th October.
Korozo and Henkel have previously collaborated on a range of projects, including a stand-up pouch for Henkel’s Somat Excellent automatic dishwashing product. The mono-material film was designed for full recyclability and, in pouch form, claimed to offer such benefits as easy opening and a metallic effect.
Since then, Henkel has sought to incorporate PCR into other packaging solutions. These include its Pril Limited Edition dishwashing liquid bottle, said to contain 100% recycled plastic partially sourced from Germany’s ‘yellow bag’ collection system; and the blister packs for its WC FRISCH Kraft Aktiv Pro Nature Pack toilet fresheners, apparently sourcing 80% of the 100% ‘yellow bag’ recyclate from recycled PET trays.
More recently, Unilever announced that its Wonder Wash laundry detergent would be distributed in fully recyclable PET bottles containing 35% post-consumer recycled content. The company claimed that 72% of its plastic packaging portfolio was already designed for recycling, with the new bottle set to contribute to this figure.
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