Designing for Circularity in Flexible Packaging Developments and New Pilot Programs
Colgate-Palmolive unleashes a new toothpaste pilot program that pushes for more recycling support within the flexible packaging and recycling industries, and how a resurgence of mechanical recycling from industry associations may be in the offing for 2022.
The race is on with global brand owners as they transition to find flexible packaging formats with enough recycled content to meet their fast-approaching upcoming recycling mandates, 2022 regulations in Europe and get a handle on managing post-consumer recycled content (PCR). The latter is an immense challenge since PCR supply is limited and new recycling technologies, like advanced recycling, have not fully scaled.
So, the flexible packaging segment is at an inflection point with recycled content. The good news is that more investments are being made into municipal recycling in the U.S.; more than $1 billion in investments was made before the U.S. infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 was passed late last year.