INEOS to use 60% of recycled plastics in packaging

11 / 09 / 2020

By Marwa Nassar - -

INEOS Olefins & Polymers partnered with leading waste management company Saica Natur with an aim to expand the Recycl-IN range of products to include flexible packaging solutions with over 60 % recycled content.

The long-term agreement will help INEOS to serve the growing demand for increased levels of recycled product in sustainable, virgin quality flexible packaging.

Through this partnership, INEOS Olefins & Polymers has been able to develop high-performance polyethylene Recycl-IN resins to meet the needs of converters, brand owners and retailers, to use more than 60% recycled plastics in very demanding applications such as stretch and lamination films typically used in flexible pouches for detergent and personal care products.

This new addition to the Recycl-IN range is for use in flexible packaging and pushes technical boundaries by incorporating more than 60% post-consumer recyclate (PCR). Recycl-INcombines the recycled plastic with highly engineered virgin polymers. The result has properties equivalent to virgin materials, whilst meeting the demand for an increase in the use of recycled materials.

Rob Ingram, CEO INEOS Olefins & Polymers North Europe, said “Together with Saica Natur we have the innovation, drive, know-how and capability to move towards a circular economy for plastics in flexible packaging. Saica are experts in recycling post-consumer plastic film. INEOS has the polymer science expertise to improve the quality, specification, and performance of the finished product. We are very pleased to add these new flexible packaging products to our Recycl-IN range.”

Victor Sanz, Director General of Saica Natur, said “With this agreement, we are moving towards a circular economy model through the use of resources in a more sustainable and efficient way. Waste is transformed into a secondary raw material that will be then incorporated into new high quality products. This is an example of commitment towards achieving a long-term sustainable growth.”

INEOS first launched the Recycl-IN range of polymers in 2019 to address consumer needs for high recycled content resins which match the performance of virgin resins in terms of quality and processability.

As part of its commitment to a New Circular Economy, INEOS has set itself four ambitious targets to meet by 2025; offer a range of polyolefin products for packaging applications in Europe containing 50% or more recycled content, use on average 30% recycled content in products destined for polystyrene packaging in Europe, incorporate at least 325kt/a of recycled material into products, and ensure 100% of polymer products can be recycled.