Industry Working Groups

Considering the significant advantages to using multi-material flexible packaging, many users and manufacturers continue to seek sustainable solutions for their end of life. Evaluating lifecycle impacts of different recovery schemes, identifying opportunities to improve processes, and seeking to drive recycling options are common objectives by a variety of industry coalitions. Below is a list of many of the current industry initiatives exploring viable solutions to increase the recovery options of multi-material packaging.

Flexible Packaging Resource Recovery Task Group

This ongoing working group of the Flexible Packaging Association seeks to facilitate the advancement of flexible packaging recovery, with a focus on recovery options. Only members of the Flexible Packaging Association may be engaged; although the task group and association do have a history of sharing resources and collaborating with peers on like-minded projects.

Website: Flexible Packaging Association

PACNEXT: Multi-Material Film & Bags Committee

PACNEXT launched the Multi-Material Film & Bags project committee in 2011 in order to assess opportunities for improving cost effective film recovery. The committee is currently working on a collaborative project with Stewardship Ontario, the Continuous Improvement Fund and the Canadian Plastics Industry Association. The project aims to demonstrate the feasibility of recycling post-consumer multi-material flexible packaging. They are currently performing a trial with three end-processors.

Engagement in this committee is through membership with PACNEXT

Website: PacNext

American Chemistry Council (ACC): Advanced Recycling Alliance for Plastics

Advanced plastics recycling, also called chemical recycling or advanced recycling and recovery, refers to several different processes that use existing and emerging technologies that return post-use plastics to their basic chemical building blocks for creating a versatile mix of new plastics, chemicals, fuels, and other products.The Advanced Recycling Alliance for Plastics works to:grow awareness of the benefits of advanced plastics recycling technologies that convert post-use plastics into chemicals, fuels and other products; grow and scale advanced recycling into a v iable industry solution; and demonstrate broad support for advanced recycling technologies through an expanding network of allies.

Website: ARAP