One of the world’s largest consumer goods companies thinks the key to tackling multi-material flexible packaging waste may be to dissolve, separate and precipitate its PE content so it can be recycled. Unilever plans to test the approach at a facility in East Java, Indonesia. In May, Plastics Recycling Update first wrote about Unilever’s announcement that it will test the long-term...

Unilever is investing more than $170,000 to support young people with life-changing ideas about sustainability. It is partnering with The University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) and social entrepreneur investment organisation Ashoka to offer mentoring which helps entrepreneurs under 35 develop and scale up their initiatives. As part of the 2017 Young...

New developments in marker technologies for sorting plastic packaging should not be viewed as “the answer” to increasing recycling rates, however they could be valuable in other ways leading to higher quality and value in recycling, suggests Axion Consulting (Bramhall, United Kingdom), which specializes in resource recovery. While methods to detect different polymer types, such as fluorescent...

Here for Heinz: Why The Glass Bottle Still Rules The Brand The arrival of Memorial Day this weekend in the US is also the unofficial start of their barbecue season. This means Heinz Ketchup will once again play a crucial role in millions of American meals. But, will Americans choose glass or plastic bottles? Glass bottles are heavier, more expensive, more breakable, and the ketchup only pours...

Reusable bags require more materials and energy to make than plastics ones Study found they must be used at least twice a week for a year to have benefit Researchers say shoppers need to be made aware of importance of using bags  Read the full article by June Ramli for Daily Mail Australia,  published on 26 May 2017.  Click on the link...

SOUTH AFRICA IS TO ENJOY THE BENEFITS OF BETTER SAFETY OVERSIGHT IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN, THANKS TO A COLLABORATION BETWEEN CDI AND RPMASA The Responsible Packaging Management Association of Southern Africa (RPMASA) is to hold two public meetings in June to introduce the International Marine Packed Cargo Audit Scheme (IMPCAS) to regional shippers,  carriers and government departments. Read the full...

MetPac-SA, the newly formed producer responsibility organisation (PRO), tasked specifically with looking after the interests and recycling of steel, tin plate and aluminium packaging, is campaigning to highlight the versatility and recyclability of metals. “Metal packaging comes in a wide range of sizes – from a small can for tomato concentrate, to a steel drum for bulk tomato transport, and...

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something EPS An Ohio high school student is in the spotlight for her creative uses of expanded polystyrene. Alyssa Hertz, a senior at Copley High School near Akron, made a wedding gown out of EPS products such as cups, Alyssa used more than 500 EPS pieces for the gown. She told People that the project was challenging at first as some of the...

To begin to recover targeted plastics from multi-layer packaging, one of the world’s largest consumer product companies says it will use a unique technology and “empower waste pickers.” London-based Unilever announced it will build a pilot plant in Indonesia later this year to test long-term commercial-scale viability of what’s called the “CreaSolv” process. The company will target pouches,...

Pierre Pienaar, education director of the Australian Institute of Packaging, has been elected as the next president of the World Packaging Organisation (WPO). Pienaar, who is currently VP Education for the WPO, will take office in January 2018 when current president Tom Schneider’s term ends. The appointment is timely, as Australia will next year host the prestigious WPO WorldStar...