The Amcor flexible film was printed and converted by Amcor. The prototype KitKat wrapper demonstrates the opportunity to close the loop on recycling flexible packaging. The new wrapper was developed using Amcor’s expertise in incorporating recycled content into its packaging. The company also has a strong track record of innovation to deliver more recyclable solutions for its customers.
Partnering together, Amcor, Nestlé, CurbCycle, iQ Renew, Licella, Viva Energy Australia, LyondellBasell, REDcycle, and Taghleef Industries all leveraged their individual expertise in collecting and processing the flexible film waste to create the prototype wrapper, which is made with 30% recycled polypropylene.
 | Watch a Take Five video on brands replacing fossil-based plastics with bio-plastics. |
“This is an exciting time for Amcor, and our participation in this project is fully aligned with our commitment to ensure all our packaging is designed to be recyclable or reusable by 2025,” says Simon Roy, Vice President & General Manager Amcor Flexibles Australia & New Zealand. “As a global leader in consumer packaging, we were proud to contribute our expertise in designing a structure that meets consumer needs and has a responsible end of life where it can be reprocessed and reused in food-grade packaging.”
Sandra Martinez, CEO of Nestlé Australia, points to this launch as solid evidence that there is a pathway to solving the challenges of recycling flexible packaging materials. Brand owners like Nestlé, she adds, will play a key role in driving demand for such food-grade recycled materials and creating market conditions that will ensure all stakeholders throughout the value chain view these materials “as a resource and not waste.”
Don’t miss this animated video on how flexible films (curiously enough, they’re called “soft plastics” in Australia) can be recycled:
To learn more about Amcor’s collaborations to increase recycling rates go here.
Here are the contributions made by the various participants in this particular project:
§ REDcycle and CurbCycle, collected households’ flexible film waste, some from REDcycle bins and some from the kerbside collection trial.
§ iQ Renew sorted those bags in their Material Recovery Facility (MRF), removed the contaminants, and did the primary processing to create a feedstock.
§ Licella converted the plastic to oil using their Australian-developed advanced recycling technology, Cat-HTR.
§ Viva Energy Australia refined the synthetic oil.
§ LyondellBasell made food grade polypropylene.
§ Taghleef Industries created a metallized film.
§ Amcor printed and created the wrapper.
§ And finally, Nestlé wrapped the KitKat – keeping it fresh and safe to eat.
