EuPR, the Brussels-based organisation representing plastics recyclers in Europe, has developed new European eco-design guidelines for HDPE bottles in order to increase recycling of post-consumer HDPE plastics.
According to Christian-Yves Crépet, EuPR HDPE Working Group Chairman: “HDPE is a very good and easily recyclable material.” Currently, around 300,000 tonnes of HDPE bottles are being recycled annually in Europe, which EuPR notes is only 10 to 15 per cent of the HDPE waste generated in Europe. The organisation suggests the situation can be rectified by addressing various aspects in the supply chain, such as “an increase in the collection rates, the design of HDPE products put on the market and the technological improvements made by recyclers”.
To meet higher plastics recycling targets set out in EU legislation, more plastics material needs to go for recycling within the next five years. The EuPR eco-design guidelines have been developed with the aim of getting a good quality recyclate that can be reused in products such as milk bottles.
The guidelines advise that: container bodies should ideally be made of clear HDPE; labels should be laser marked with non-toxic inks and made preferably of HDPE, LDPE or polypropylene (PP), though paper and PET are both acceptable; adhesives should be water soluble at temperatures lower than 80°C; caps should be made of HDPE, LDPE or PP; and tamper evidence wraps should be made of either PE, PP, orientated polypropylene (OPP), or expanded polystyrene (EPS), while aluminium that can be pealed out is acceptable and metal and foiled paper should be avoided. The guidelines also suggest that the content of the container should be easy to empty towards the end of the consumption phase.
“The various actors of the HDPE value chain must now cooperate together in order to get HDPE on the path to sustainability”,said Crépet, calling for closer cooperation from brand owners with an interest in the sustainability of HDPE bottles.
The new HDPE recycling guidelines for enhancing recycling can be downloaded from the EuPR’s website at www.plasticsrecyclers.eu. A first workshop on the matter to be held in Brussels will be organised before summer. Interested parties should contact Antonino Furfari: antonino.furfari@eupr.org
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