The recycling of plastic packaging from the yellow bag/yellow bin is currently carried out exclusively by means of mechanical recycling. The chemical recycling of plastics offers a solution for complex packaging to close the loop and is therefore becoming increasingly important.

In chemical recycling, the plastics are transformed through a thermochemical process back into their basic chemical building blocks, which can be processed and from which plastics can be produced again.

Due to the extensive breakdown of the polymers – compared to mechanical recycling – it is possible to produce high-quality end products. This means that chemical recycling can be used for mixed plastics and contaminated input material, among other things, to produce packaging in new product quality that is 100% suitable for food.

The breakdown of polymers leads to an increased energy requirement of the process. It is therefore always necessary to check on a packaging-related basis whether chemical or mechanical recycling is the ecologically more sensible recycling option.
Landbell has succeeded in establishing a partnership with one of the most innovative chemical companies in the world. You can read more about this here.

Together with a renowned brand manufacturer, the partners have succeeded in closing the loop for complex plastic packaging in a groundbreaking pilot project. Find out more here.

Landbell is partnering with SABIC, one of the world’s leading chemical companies, to close the loop on hard-to-recycle plastic packaging.

Both companies share a common goal of creating a truly circular solution that is not satisfied with low quality recycling or incineration of plastic packaging.

As part of the cooperation, Landbell first identifies which of its plastic packaging collected and sorted via the yellow bag/yellow bin is suitable for the chemical recycling process. For this purpose, only those plastic packaging are considered that are incinerated or downcycled through mechanical recycling. If they meet the technical specification of chemical recycling, Landbell prepares them for chemical processing. SABIC uses the pyrolysis process to break down the provided plastics into their basic chemical building blocks, to process them and produce recycled plastics that meet the strictest quality requirements, such as certain hygiene standards for food packaging.

As groundbreaking as this cooperation is, the loop can only be closed together with manufacturers who think sustainably and are looking for real circular solutions for their packaging and products. Read more about a first successful pilot project with a renowned brand manufacturer here.

In an innovative recycling project, Landbell, together with its partners SABIC and Mars, has closed the loop for plastic food packaging.
At the end of 2020, Landbell started partnering with SABIC, a leading chemical company, and Mars, a leading global manufacturer of confectionery, food and pet food. The goal: to use chemical recycling to return hard-to-recycle plastic packaging from the yellow bin/yellow bag, which can only be incinerated or recycled in low-quality through mechanical recycling, into food packaging and thus close this demanding loop.

After more than 20 months of intense collaboration, Mars will begin in October 2022 to use recycled packaging material, which is collected, sorted and prepared by Landbell and processed into certified polypropylene (PP) by SABIC, in the packaging of its KIND® snack bar brand.

The project impressively demonstrates that it is also possible for complex plastic packaging to close loops in a high-quality and sustainable manner – if all parties contribute their expertise and work together towards the goal.

Do you want to close the loop together with us? Contact us at closedloop@landbellgroup.com