Amcor has become a participant in a three-year Danish initiative to create a full-scale circular recycling system for household food packaging made from plastics. 

The project, led by the Danish Technological Institute and co-funded under the name Circular Recycling Innovation for Sustainable Packaging (CRISP), is focused on rigid food packaging based on polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). 

CRISP brings together packaging manufacturers, food producers and waste management operators to develop processes capable of producing food-grade recycled plastics from post-consumer waste streams. 

Amcor will provide recycling and technical input through its CleanStream facility in Leamington Spa, UK, and draw on capabilities at its packaging production plant in Randers, Denmark.  

The company plans to use its experience in designing and manufacturing food packaging that incorporates recycled content as part of the collaboration. 

Amcor North East Europe research and development director Christian Bruno stated: “Sustainable challenges require industry collaboration, and this partnership will demonstrate what can be done when the supply chain comes together. We are proud to be part of a project that could potentially have a significant environmental impact in Denmark and set new standards worldwide.” 

The partnership is intended to contribute to the development of a circular plastics model in Denmark.  

It is positioned to support the European Union objective of a 55% plastics recycling rate by 2030 and the requirements of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which calls for most plastic packaging to be made recyclable by that date.  

Traceability of food-contact materials throughout the recycling cycle is identified as a central aspect of the work. 

The initiative also fits within Denmark’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework. 

EPR requires producers to cover the cost of packaging placed on the market while encouraging the use of more sustainable materials and designs. 

Amcor’s CleanStream technology is designed to mechanically recycle mixed household plastic waste into “high-purity” recyclate and to function within current waste collection and sorting infrastructures.  

The Leamington Spa plant can recycle almost 40% of the polypropylene waste collected from UK household recycling bins.

Danish Technological Institute business manager Per Sigaard Christensen added: “We are delighted to bring together this highly knowledgeable and innovative consortium. This three-year project has the potential to provide a clear pathway towards the circular recycling of PE and PP food packaging.”