INEOS Olefins & Polymers Europe, PepsiCo, and Amcor have joined forces to unveil a novel snack packaging solution for Sunbites crisps, incorporating 50% recycled plastic, as announced by the companies.

The rollout of this innovative packaging commenced in the UK and Ireland in late 2023, marking a significant step towards sustainability within PepsiCo's snack brand portfolio. The packaging is created by transforming plastic waste into material suitable for food packaging using an advanced recycling technique. This approach, described as a complementary method to mechanical recycling, ensures that the recycled materials meet the stringent regulatory requirements set forth by the European Union for applications like food contact packaging and sensitive medical devices.

This collaborative effort involved multiple stakeholders across the supply chain. GreenDot was entrusted with the procurement and supply of post-consumer plastic packaging waste, which underwent conversion into TACOIL (pyrolysis oil) using Plastic Energy's cutting-edge technology. Subsequently, INEOS utilized this pyrolysis oil as an alternative to traditional fossil feedstock, producing recycled propylene at its Lavera plant in France. The recycled propylene was then transformed into virgin-quality recycled polypropylene resin, a pivotal step achieved by INEOS.

IRPLAST, leveraging the new resin, revamped existing plastic packaging designs into innovative packaging films containing 50% post-consumer recycled materials while adhering to stringent food contact performance standards. Amcor played a crucial role in further processing these films into printed packaging solutions that maintain the same technical performance standards for PepsiCo.

The introduction of these new polypropylene films facilitated PepsiCo's launch of the Sunbites packaging in the UK, underscoring the collaborative efforts aimed at sustainability and circularity in packaging materials. This partnership aligns with PepsiCo Positive (pep+), the company's comprehensive transformation initiative geared towards eliminating virgin fossil-based plastic in crisp and chip bags across Europe by 2030.

Certified under the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC PLUS) scheme, the recycled polymer content guarantees adherence to stringent quality standards. This independent third-party certification ensures that the recycled content has been meticulously tracked throughout the production process, validating the accuracy of the sustainability claims.

Anticipating the upcoming EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which is set to establish ambitious targets for recycling packaging waste by 2025 and 2030, including recycled content targets for plastics, INEOS emphasizes the pivotal role of advanced recycling technologies in meeting these targets. The successful implementation of such technologies underscores their potential in facilitating the safe and circular utilization of recycled materials in food contact products, thereby contributing to the EU's objective of achieving a 10% recycled content for contact-sensitive plastic packaging by 2030.

In the past year, significant advancements have been witnessed in the realm of recycled content. Solvay and Hegen's collaboration culminated in the introduction of the first baby bottle crafted from recycled content, offering assurances of third-party mass balance certification and compliance with stringent safety standards.

Furthermore, in March, Ineos Styrolution, a subsidiary of the renowned European petrochemical producer Ineos, announced an increase in prices for its Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) products in the United States. This adjustment was necessitated by rising production and delivery costs, communicated to customers through an official communication from the manufacturer, highlighting the ongoing challenges within the industry.