Supporting clarity and principles for chemical recycling

Chemical recycling can play an important role in a circular economy for plastics if it is developed and operated under the right conditions. We're innovating with recycled content to create more sustainable packaging solutions and to help our customers meet their sustainability goals in both flexible packaging (such as bags and pouches) and rigid packaging (such as bottles and jars).

Chemical recycling converts waste by altering its chemical structure to produce materials that can be used again for the manufacturing of new products. Ensuring the right regulatory framework exists is essential for chemical recycling to be recognized as a credible form of recycling, that its use is supported and encouraged by regulators, and that the outputs can be utilized to meet market demands, specifically for food-grade materials for packaging.

That's why 16 companies under the umbrella of The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) Plastic Waste Coalition of Action co-authored Chemical Recycling in a Circular Economy for Plastics: A Vision and Principles report to provide a shared view of the role of chemical recycling in a circular economy for plastics.

The report includes a set of 6 key principles which relate to:
• complementarity with mechanical recycling,
• material traceability,
• process yields,
• environmental impact,
• health and safety,
• and that consumer-facing claims about improved sustainability of packaging made with chemically recycled content are communicated transparently and credibly.

These principles reflect a proactive stance across the industry and are a step forward in supporting technologies capable of driving a more circular economy that reduces our impact on the environment.

We believe diverse approaches and technologies all have a role to play in increasing recycling and driving a circular economy for packaging, including chemical and mechanical recycling, compostable packaging and reuse. We're innovating with packaging that is designed to be recycled and includes recycled content to create more sustainable packaging solutions and to help our customers meet their sustainability goals, and we're proud to be a part of this next step.

'Chemical recycling operating under the right principles has a role to play in driving circularity, helping to recycle more plastic, including flexible and rigid packaging, into materials such as food-grade plastics that cannot be produced by mechanical recycling, so that it stays in the economy and out of the environment,' said Gerald Rebitzer, Director Sustainability at Amcor Flexibles AFEMEA. 'We're consistently working to ensure all our packaging can be recycled and ensuring our packaging is increasingly lightweight, while also focusing on reducing greenhouse gas emissions in our operations and our supply chain."

We need to explore all viable options for increasing the level of recyclability and sourcing more recycled materials for packaging. Our participation in this paper highlights our belief in the safe development of technologies that can enable chemical recycling and contribute to a circular economy.