Launched in October 2020, the Nextloopp initiative, a project that has developed commercially-proven methods to separate food-grade polypropylene (PP) from post-consumer packaging using marker technologies, continues to grow. The project creates food-contact approved PP packaging with 100% recycled content.
The multi-participant initiative recently welcomed Bostik as its 50th member. The US-based company manufactures and distributes adhesives and sealants for the construction, industrial, and consumer markets. It is part of the French-based Arkema group, a provider of chemicals and materials. Bostik joins a host of other organisations taking part in the project, including brand-owners, suppliers, universities, and industry associations, through to end-users in the PP supply chain. Nextloopp is led by UK-based sustainability consultancy Nextek, which was founded in 2004 by professor Edward Kosior. Nextek launched Nextloopp to close the loop on food-grade rPP.
“Bostik’s commitment to help build a more sustainable world, in this instance by improving recycling stream effectiveness, resonates with Nextloop’s objective to ensure every aspect of packaging design is as sustainable as possible,” said Kosior. “Adhesives play a fundamental role in recycling, as glue residues can’t be filtered out and must be completely removed from the pack. Bostik offers hi-tech solutions to avoid glues leaching into recycled plastics, and we are delighted to welcome Bostik’s extensive expertise in adhesives to solve these challenges,” he explained.
The project entails separating food-grade PP from the rest using marker technology called PolyPPRISM to identify and sort any number of pack variants from butter tubs and yogurt pots to coffee pouches and detergent bottles in any plastic type. Nextloop then decontaminates the polymer to ensure compliance with food-grade standards in the UK, EU, and the US, using patented PPristine technology. It finally turns it back into food-grade recyclates ready to be included in new food-grade PP packaging. The technologies are being trialed as part of the project in the lead-up to implementation at commercial scale.
“We appreciate the opportunity to participate in Nextloop and support its overall objective to demonstrate circular recycling for PP food trays,” said Eric Parois, Bostik’s global market director for label and narrow web technologies. “In particular, because it is focused on PP, Nextloop complements what we are working on for PET and HDPE circular recycling, providing us with a new avenue to explore how Bostik laminating adhesives, seal and reseal PP tray lidding adhesives, and PP tray wash-off label adhesives can bring forward 100% recyclable solutions as we work together to decrease virgin plastic consumption.”