Berry has revealed a ‘high-quality’ post-consumer recycled plastic polymer for non-contact-sensitive homecare and industrial packaging, said to eliminate around 36,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions every year.
CleanStream Home and Industrial is produced using several of the same processes as Berry’s proprietary contact-sensitive PCR, and is designed to fit a range of applications with stringent technical specifications.
Due to the purity degree of the recycled polymer, it can apparently be utilized in greater percentages in various pack types, as well as in applications where a high degree of functional performance is required; this includes the lids, rings and handles of paint containers, as well as trigger spray heads.
CleanStream is said to be compatible with existing waste management infrastructures. Its closed-loop system is expected to provide consistency and reliability for customers’ supply chains.
Instead of conventional material-based sorting, the CleanStream process consists of multiple sorting steps; it utilizes AI technology to automate identification, sort, and decontaminate waste and deliver ‘very high levels’ of polymer purity.
Apparently, Berry’s Leamington Spa facility has the capacity to recycle almost 40% of all the polypropylene waste collected from recycling bins in the United Kingdom, and in turn unlock ‘significantly lower-carbon’ recycled plastic at scale.
According to a life cycle analysis conducted with Quantis’ SPICE Tool, packaging made with CleanStream emits around 35% less CO2 than virgin plastic, lowering carbon dioxide by around 36,000 tonnes annually. This is believed to equate to the production of around 26 million five-litre paint containers.
Additionally, Berry’s CleanStream technology is believed to be capable of recycling nearly 40% of all polypropylene waste collected from domestic recycling bins in the United Kingdom (based on 2017 data from WRAP’s PlasticFlow 2025: Plastic Packaging Flow Data Report).
Mark Roberts, Circular Economy director at Berry’s Consumer Products International division, explained: “Much of the current industry output of recycled plastic for non-contact-sensitive products is used for items such as plant pots, drainage products, automotive parts, and furniture.
“However, increasing consumer demand for more sustainable packaging, combined with our customers’ own ambitious sustainability commitments and targets, have driven the need for a recycled polymer with higher purity that is suitable for more challenging applications, and which can also maximize the use of PCR content.
“CleanStream Home and Industrial has therefore been introduced to provide high quality material to meet vital aesthetic, safety, and functionality requirements.”
Euromonitor’s Voice of the Industry: Sustainability Survey suggests that 60% of global corporates plan to launch new products with sustainable packaging claims, while its Sustainability Quarterly SKU Count and Price Tracker records a 13% increase in the SKU count of global laundry products making sustainable packaging claims between Q4 2022 and Q4 2023.
“It is clear that the need for high-quality non-contact-sensitive recycled polymers will continue to grow across homecare and industrial markets,” Roberts adds. “We look forward to working with our customers to help them develop packaging that includes high levels of PCR, providing circular solutions with no compromise on performance.”
Last August, Berry revealed that several polypropylene products in its B Circular beauty and personal care product range had become available with CleanStream recycled plastic packaging. Said to have undergone ‘extensive’ testing to ensure its suitability with contact-sensitive personal care and beauty products, CleanStream was anticipated for use in jars, applicators, closures, and atmospheric and airless dispensers.
Since then, Avantium has released its plant-based, recyclable PEF polymer under the brand name Releaf, recommending it as an alternative material for manufacturing packaging, bottles, and textiles.
Tetra Pak has also revealed that its packaging materials are now available with ISCC PLUS certified recycled polymers in India – a move set to align with recent updates to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change’s Plastic Waste Management Rules, which will come into effect on 1st April 2025.
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