Through VISION 2030, Toray Films Europe endorses a more responsible use, re-use, and recycling of resources. We are committed to respond to growing pressures from both the public and governments to reduce our environmental impact. By gathering with others market actors, we aim at generating a bigger change.
I – A circular economy for flexible packagings
CEFLEX Europe is acommitted initiative targeting a circular economy for flexible packaging, ensuring products reach consumers safe and fresh. The goal is to avoid waste and pollution by means of flexible packaging.
As a raw material producer, Toray Films Europe is involved in the redesign of the consumer flexible packaging and in the search for new solutions. The designing for a circular economy guideline (D4ACE) phase 2 is now focused on the multi-material structures, based on a testing program to evaluate sorting & recyclability of the selected materials. We are active members of sub-groups such as PET or PE/PP laminate structures to enrich the recommendations of the whole value chain.
II – Reduction of the plastic waste
CITEO is a French private company dealing with the collection, the sorting and the recycling of packaging and paper. Currently, 70% of household packaging and 57.5% of paper are recycled in France thanks to these first eco-citizen gestures.
Toray Films Europe has an R&D partnership with CITEO to improve the design of existing flexible packaging structure in order to enhance the sorting and the recycling efficiency. By offering thinner films (PET films down to 6 and 4.5 µm), Toray Films Europe contributes directly to new potential solutions and to reduce the plastic amount being used.
III – Recycling projects
CELAB is a professional European collaborative initiative which aims at increasing the recycling percentage in self-adhesive labels. It concerns the matrix and the release liner, which are wasted products after use. The objective is to identify recycling opportunities.
IV – Recyclability of flexible packaging
BOPET Films Europe is an association representing all actors of the polyester supply chain interested in sustainable alternatives. Recently, they launched the Vita Nova initiative, a new consortium of industry players promoting the use of mono-PET flexible packaging in the circular economy.
Currently, PET films are the only commercially available option for the use of food contact approved recycled content. According to the target, VITA NOVA aims at delivering:
- Material redesign options moving from mixed plastics to mono-PET
- Quality sorting guidelines
- Recycling pathway for PET films (considering both mechanical and monomer recycling)
- Design for recycling guidelines for mono-PET packaging
- Research viable end markets for mechanically recycled flexible PET and prove a closed loop recycling process for monomer recycling
Toray Films Europe, thanks to its PET films ranges, offers heat sealable and food-contact approved films which are fully suitable for flexible packaging.
V – Alternative sourcing with bio-sourced polymer
Toray Films Europe got involved in the PEFPACK project, a collaboration organized around a consortium of industrial and academical partners. The project took place in 2018, with film pilote horizons for 2022. It consists in developing a packaging made from a combination of polyethylene furanoate, PEF, a 100% bio-sourced polymer, and PET (polyethylene terephthalate).
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