Polymer producer Ineos Olefins & Polymers Europe has commissioned a pilot line for developing recyclable flexible packaging films.
The firm said it had successfully installed the blown-film line with machine direction orientation, supplied by from Hosokawa Alpine, at its research and development centre in Brussels.
It will be used to carry out tests of innovative films that could be applied directly to Ineos’ customers production lines.
Many packaging films combine different polymers, each performing different functions, according to the producer. This makes them difficult to manage at the end of their lives.
Creating simpler films with the same performance would allow packaging to be recycled more easily, it added.
Ineos Olefins & Polymers Europe chief executive Rob Ingram said: “Flexible packaging films play a valuable role in society, but we recognise and share people’s concerns about plastic waste.
“Every day we work alongside stakeholders across the value chain who share our commitment to a circular economy, developing more sustainable solutions to consumers’ needs.
“Fully recyclable films are a big development and I’m excited about the possibilities created by our investment in this new line.”
