• Sustainability Problem
  • Flexible barrier packaging poses a unique recycling challenges due to the variety of materials generally used as part of its makeup. Being able to produce recyclable packaging with ingredients that ensure barrier protection, along with stiffness, toughness and sealability of the package has been unavailable leading to packaging waste to end up in landfills or incinerators.

• Summary of Dow Chemical’s RecycleReady Technolgy
  • Enables the recyclability of polyethylene-based barrier packaging as part of existing grocery store drop-off recycling programs.
  • Is a major advancement that enables the recycling of packaging for products like granola and nuts, which was not possible before in flexible packaging.
  • With the introduction of RecycleReady™ Technology, converters will now have the ability to produce recyclable packaging with ingredients that ensure barrier protection, along with stiffness, toughness and sealability of the package. These recyclable flexible pouches incorporate multiple layers, but use only polyethylene as the basic raw material.
  • The technology aims to divert packaging waste from landfill or incineration, increase post-consumer recycling yields and aid the creation of a circular economy for plastics packaging.

• Stakeholders:
  • Producers of food products that require flexible packaging.
  • Consumers
  • Environmentalist
  • The general population

• Deployment
  • The single-polymer pouch first hit the shelves as Tyson Foods frozen chicken packaging in Mexico in 2013, after a 15-month development period.
  • Seventh Generation adopted the packaging in June of this year for its dishwasher detergent pods.
  • Beyond Organic began packaging nutraceuticals in it in September.
  • Marketing to other potential producers.
• Sources

http://www.dow.com/news/press-releases/breakthrough%20dow%20technology%20enables%20recyclable%20flexible%20plastic%http://resource-recycling.com/node/6760

http://resource-recycling.com/node/6760