The Flexible Plastic Fund (FPF) has launched its FlexCollect report, consolidating over three years of learnings from the FPF FlexCollect trials which took place across 10 pilot local authorities and 160,000 households in the UK.
The fund claims that the project was the largest of its kind in the UK, collecting over 400 tonnes of flexible plastic packaging (FPP). The report sets out a blueprint for adding FPP to existing household recycling, aiming to show that FPP can be effectively collected across all service types, sorted through existing facilities and achieve high recovery rates with end markets for the recycled material.
The report states that FPP can be effectively collected across all service types with ‘minimal to no disruption’ using dedicated bags, or in some cases, loose combined with other recyclable materials. The scheme achieved an 89% satisfaction rate amongst the householders surveyed.
Apparently, nearly 90% of the collected material was target material and was very clean, demonstrating good sorting behaviour and low contamination. All participating Materials Recovery Facilities (MRFs) successfully accepted and processed the FPP with little to no impact on their existing operations.
The report states that recycling end markets achieved recovery rates of around 80% when recycled into new flakes or pellets and up to 100% when recycled into plastic timber products. The data suggests that over 150,000 tonnes of FPP could be collected annually once Simpler Recycling is fully implemented from 2027.
The report also found that there is ‘insufficient recycling capacity’ for the future demand from 2027 but planned or in development facilities - combined with potential spare capacity in European facilities - will go ‘a significant way’ to meet future demand. The blueprint recommends accelerating investment in UK-based re-processing capacity and developing robust end markets for recycled flexible plastic packaging.
Last month the U.S. Flexible Film Initiative (USFFI) announced its official launch as a non-profit industry coalition, aiming to build a ‘scalable, responsible and circular’ system for the recovery and recycling of flexible plastic packaging in the United States. It hopes to catalyze long-term sustainable solutions by collaborating with producers, MRFs, reclaimers and end markets.
In the personal care sector, Ĕleeo Brands recently introduced its Boogie Bubbling Vapor Bath product in the flexible AeroFlexx Pak, aiming to deliver an easy-to-use solution while supporting a positive environmental impact. The Pak seeks to provide convenience with its one-way self-sealing valve that eliminates spills while enabling one-handed precise dispensing.
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