Innovia Films extends recycling certification to meet demand

The news comes after the company’s successful recycling certification of its Propafilm Strata SL high barrier film earlier this year by Interseroh, an independent German recycling and consulting company.  

Packaging after-life

Interseroh analyse and evaluate packaging based on criteria including the after-life processes (collection, sorting, recycling and processing). The result of their analysis is a scale which determines whether the packaging is non-recyclable through to very good.  

“This certification provides us with independent validation that our polypropylene films are fully recyclable,​” ​said Stephen Langstaff, global business manager, Packaging, Innovia Films. ​

He added currently there is limited collection of flexible films across Europe which means this resource is being wasted. ​

Everyday products that have been manufactured from polypropylene can be reclaimed and reprocessed back into polymer pellets for use in a diverse range of commercial and industrial applications such as the moulding of plastic parts for the automotive industry.  

Standardised collection

“If collection streams were standardised across the UK and Europe, polypropylene and other polyolefins could be recycled and reused​ without significant problem,” said ​Langstaff.​ ​

“The next step for Innovia is to work with partners to develop a food compliant stream so that recyclate can be incorporated back into film.”​