As part of Glenroy’s TruRenu™ sustainable flexible packaging portfolio, the STANDCAP pouch is now available in an all-polyethylene (HDPE) tube format that is recyclable in U.S. curbside recycling streams. While the structure itself is multilayer, as most flexible packaging pouches are, each layer is a form of HDPE, thus it’s a mono-material multilayer structure. To a material recovery facility (MRF) or reprocessor, the material is equivalent to a recyclable HDPE tube or rigid bottle.
The recyclable format joins two existing STANDCAP pouch formats, the pre-made pouch and the pouch containing PCR content. Consumers are asked to look to the pack itself for the chasing arrows HDPE #2 symbol to ensure their pack format is indeed the recyclable one.
The new recyclable pouch is still easy-to-use, lightweight, and provides up to 99% product evacuation, the company says, making it ideal for packaging applications like sauces, condiments, spreads, dips, and personal care products.
The caps/closures are not recyclable because they are made with a different plastic than the HDPE pouch structure. The company says it's working to find a material more compatible with the flexible pouch materials. But the valve technology in the cap/closure improves oxygen barrier & provides controlled dispensing with clean product cutoff FDA compliant for direct food contact.
According to a Lifecycle Assessment (LCA), the recyclable STANDCAP reduces fossil fuel consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, water usage, and landfill waste compared to rigid bottles.
