Recyclable Black Plastic Packaging Produced by Henkel

Leading chemical and consumer goods company Henkel have developed recyclable black plastic packaging in the next step towards meeting their sustainable packaging targets.

The Germany based manufacturer behind brands such as Loctite, Pritt and Sellotape have been working together with its supplier Ampacet to produce new recyclable black plastic packaging for its line of black bottled products.

A press release on their website states that the new recyclable plastic will be used for its line of toilet cleaning products which fall under its Bref brand and its use for other Henkel products will be brought into focus throughout the remainder of 2019.

How New Recyclable Black Plastic Packaging Will Contribute to Henkel’s Packaging Targets

The introduction of recyclable black plastic packaging provides another way in which Henkel can meet their overall packaging strategy and sustainability targets.

Previously, the company have stated their aims are:

• By 2025, 100% of the company’s packaging will be recyclable, reusable or compostable (excluding adhesive products where residue may affect recyclability or pollute recycling streams)

• Increasing the share of recycled plastic to 35% for its consumer good products in Europe by 2025.

Along with their production of recyclable black plastic packaging, Henkel are already involved with driving forward with innovations in packaging and attempting to find effective new solutions that can be re-produced on a larger scale.

Memberships and partnerships with initiatives such as the New Plastics Economy (NPEC), social enterprise Plastic Bank and being known as the founding member of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW) have meant that Henkel have remained firmly on top of their environmental responsibilities along with many other companies helping to spearhead the war on waste.

Solving the Challenge of Recycling Black Plastic

With Henkel and supplier Ampacet helping to create recyclable black plastic packaging, they are helping to solve a challenge often posed when it comes to black plastic being involved in the recycling chain.

Currently, recycling facilities used by companies will utilise infra-red (NIR) technology which help to identify the plastic materials within packaging that can be recycled.

This is done via optical sensors which use the reflection if light to detect materials and sort them accordingly.

Due to the presence of carbon black within black plastic packaging, the sorting process often means black plastic is not able to be identified by the sensors and is often sorted incorrectly as a result.

Driving Progress Towards a Circular Value Chain

Providing an overview on their partnership with Henkel on this new project, Phillipe Hugelé, Strategic Business Manager for Moulding at Ampacet, comments:

“We are honored to partner with Henkel to support the circular economy with this innovation.

As part of our sustainability initiative, our REC-NIR-BLACK carbon-black free masterbatch provides a second life for black plastic packaging by allowing scanning by near-infrared technology for automated sorting at recovery facilities.

We are pleased to be able to contribute to packaging recyclability for Henkel’s iconic brands.”

Vineet Varman, Head of International Packaging Development for Special Detergents at Henkel Laundry & Home Care, spoke of how their collaboration with Ampacet has allowed them to tackle a key challenge when recycling used black plastic packaging.

“Recognising that black bottles are one of the central challenges when it comes to recyclability of used packaging, we want to be part of the solution: The new material will contribute to closing the loop of plastic packaging in a sustainable way.

Our joint development projects across all our three business units underline Henkel’s commitment to sustainable packaging and to drive progress toward a circular value chain.”

Source

Henkel –  Collaboration with Ampacet to drive progress toward a circular economy