HG4PPflex

Introduction

In 2030, the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) requirements on recycled content in plastic packaging will come into force. It is estimated that approximately 110 Kton of contact-sensitive recycled polypropylene (rPP) will be required in 2030 to meet these targets – excluding the rPP needed for non-contact-sensitive applications.

Smart sorting and tailored recycling steps will be essential to produce sufficient rPP. Among the potential recycling options, ‘advanced mechanical recycling’, including processes such as chemical washing and dissolution recycling, stands out as a promising method for producing large volumes of contact-sensitive rPP.

The HolyGrail 2.0 initiative, which validated the use of digital watermarks for smart sorting in industrial setting, can play a key role in enabling this transition. In the next phase ‘HolyGrail 2030 – Circular Packaging’, the Consortium aims to unlock the circularity of PP packaging through a two-year market demonstration, assessing the business case for sorting and recycling technologies. This will serve as a basis for landing strips over the next years, which focus on two specific use cases:

• The Belgian landing strip will address flexible PP packaging

• The German landing strip will focus on rigid PP packaging.

Within this context, Catalisti and Flanders’ FOOD are initiating the COOCK+ project HG4PPflex, in collaboration with AIM - European Brands Association as the HG2030 project facilitator, and Fost Plus, the household Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) in Belgium. HG4PPflex, which will be carried out by UGent’s research group LCPE and Pack4Food, aims to model and assess the technical, economic, and environmental potential of watermark-enabled sorting and advanced recycling—specifically for flexible PP packaging in the Belgian market.

The project will model the sorting and recycling processes (e.g., yield, quality, and final composition), which can steer value-chain developments, supported by techno-economic analysis (TEA) and carbon footprint calculations based on industrial trials.

By leveraging the COOCK+ framework, the project ensures rapid knowledge transfer towards companies and practical implementation in Belgium.

Ambition

The overarching goal is to model the technical, environmental, and economic performances of watermark-based sorting combined with advanced recycling processes for food-grade flexible PP packaging, using outcomes from demonstration trials. Hence, the project will:

• Model potential recycling yields and recycled content contributions at a national level;

• Model and assess recyclate quality against EFSA requirements for food safety;

• Perform carbon footprint calculations;

• Perform techno-economic assessments;

• Map value chains and assess technology compatibility within Flanders.