LoopCycling

LoopCycling is a collaborative research project at the Institute for Plastics Processing in Industry and Craft (IKV) at RWTH Aachen University that investigates how mechanical recycling can produce higher-quality plastic from household flexible packaging waste. It brings together industrial partners across the recycling and packaging value chain to examine the complete processing route, from waste sorting to the manufacture and testing of new films.

A central objective is to reduce contamination that limits the use of post-consumer recycled plastics, meaning plastics recovered after products have been used and discarded. Printing inks, adhesive residues, and other unwanted substances can affect color, odor, processing behavior, and material properties. LoopCycling investigates how coordinated improvements across the recycling chain can address these problems.

Deinking is a particular research focus. The project examines how washing chemistry, temperature, treatment time, and mechanical friction influence ink removal. Reverse-printed laminates are especially challenging because their printing is enclosed between layers, limiting contact between the ink and washing solution.

According to IKV, the first phase, running from 2025 to 2026, focused on flexible low-density polyethylene packaging. It investigated sorting, deinking, compounding, degassing, decontamination, film production, and analytical assessment. Compounding mixes and processes material into a suitable formulation, while degassing removes volatile substances during melt processing.

Follow-up work under LoopCycling 2 is intended to improve the treatment of reverse-printed laminates, compounding and degassing, and melt filtration. It also extends the approach to flexible polypropylene packaging.