CIRCULAR FoodPack

CIRCULAR FoodPack, short for Circular Packaging for Direct Food Contact Applications, was a European research and innovation project focused on recovering plastic from used flexible packaging and enabling its reuse in demanding packaging applications, particularly food packaging. Funded through the European Union’s Horizon 2020 program and coordinated by the Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV, it ran from June 1, 2021, to November 30, 2024.

The project addressed two connected challenges: the difficulty of recycling multilayer packaging and the need to control contaminants when recycled plastic is intended for sensitive uses. Flexible packaging can combine different polymers, adhesives, inks, and barrier layers. These components help protect the original product but can interfere with recycling and reduce the quality of recovered material.

CIRCULAR FoodPack investigated a combination of sorting, cleaning, and purification technologies. These included tracer-based sorting, which uses detectable markers to identify packaging; deinking, which removes printing inks; delamination, which separates bonded layers; and deodorization, which reduces unwanted odors. The project also examined solvent-based and mechanical recycling processes.

Its packaging development work included polyethylene-based structures incorporating recycled material and functional barriers. A functional barrier is a layer designed to restrict the movement of residual substances from recycled plastic toward the packaged product. Material testing, food-contact compliance assessment, life-cycle assessment, and economic analysis supported the development of these approaches.

The project’s significance lies in connecting packaging design with sorting and material purification. It explored how flexible packaging waste could become a source of material for higher-value applications, while identifying the technical and safety conditions needed to support that reuse.