KHS offers solutions for closed material cycles

Following the changes to the German Packaging Act, stricter regulations on the recyclability and recyclate content of PET bottles will also apply in future. With its FreshSafe PET glass coating technology, KHS offers a solution for the closed recycling loop.

It was no secret that it was coming, and now it has finally been passed by the Bundestag: A majority of MPs have voted in favour of the amendments to the Packaging Act. This means that the Extension of the mandatory deposit to include PET juice bottles from January 2022 has been finalised. At the same time, stricter requirements for the recyclability and recyclate content of PET bottles will apply in future.

This is precisely where the KHS Group comes in with its technologies. The company offers proven and forward-looking solutions for the now legally prescribed strengthening of the closed material cycle, including the FreshSafe-PET glass coating technology. The sustainable packaging alternative with a high level of product protection enables single-variety bottle-to-bottle recycling without contaminating the cycle.

Challenges for everyone involved in the recycling cycle

„Dem recyclable design, especially for disposable PET bottles will become even more important following the German government's decision,“ says Philipp Langhammer, Product Manager Barrier Technology at KHS. However, implementing the legal requirements poses enormous challenges for everyone involved in the recycling cycle - from retailers to recyclers.

For example, juice and nectar bottles made from PET, which are Contains additives with oxygen absorbers will no longer be collected via the Yellow Bag in future, but will become part of the recycling loop. However, these additives make them more difficult to recycle than conventional PET bottles. This makes joint further processing more difficult.

„With our FreshSafe PET barrier technology, a SiO_x-With the new inner coating made of chemically pure glass, we offer an established solution to this relevant problem. It makes the reprocessing process much easier, as the coating can be easily washed off during recycling.“ Philipp Langhammer, Product Manager Barrier Technology at KHS

KHS welcomes the changes to the Packaging Act

The inclusion of previously non-deposit PET bottles in the system means that there is a high probability of more rPET available for the bottle-to-bottle cycle, This is the expectation of many stakeholders. According to a 2018 study by the Gesellschaft für Verpackungsmarktforschung, around ten per cent of all PET bottles are still lost to the closed recycling loop every year due to the limited deposit requirement. That is around 40,000 tonnes of plastic per year that cannot be recycled into food packaging.

In Langhammer's opinion, extending the mandatory deposit is therefore a lever, to further increase the average proportion of recycled PET bottles. This not only strengthens sustainable processes, but also increases consumer acceptance of the material. Bottle-to-bottle recycling also offers numerous advantages in terms of CO₂-footprint, says Langhammer: „rPET has an up to 60 per cent better balance in this respect compared to new material, for example.“ KHS therefore welcomes the changes to the Packaging Act.

Thanks to environmentally friendly packaging and resource-saving machine technology, the systems provider is helping its customers to produce ever more sustainably. An important concern for the KHS packaging experts is to effectively close material cycles. For example the InnoPET Blomax Series V stretch blow-moulding machine for PET preforms made from up to 100 per cent recyclate.

The environmentally friendly Concept of the Beyond JuiceBottle made from 100 per cent recycled material with the FreshSafe PET inner coating in combination with the Nature MultiPack from KHS, a container solution that holds bottles together thanks to easily detachable but bonded adhesive dots. This reduces packaging waste by up to 90 per cent. In addition All KHS shrink packer films made from 100 per cent recycled material process. „We are continuously developing our technologies with regard to sustainability and are consistently committed to the idea of the circular economy,“ says Langhammer.

Source: KHS