Technological watch

European consortium Ceflex reaches 100 members / Growing interest from outside Europe(Image: Ceflex)Ceflex (www.ceflex.eu) has reached the 100-member mark. Packaging supplier RPC bpi (Greenock / UK; www.rpc-bpi.com) was the 100th member to join the consortium, which was established in 2017 to boost flexible packaging recycling in Europe. RPC bpi counts itself among Europe's largest recyclers of PE film.
Ceflex has noted an increased participation from outside Europe, including from India (Polyplex and Sumilon) and Thailand (SCG). The stakeholders of Ceflex include producers, converters, retailers, recyclers, end users and associations ? a full list of members is listed here.
The consortium's goals include increasing flexible packaging recycling in more European countries by 2020 through developing design guidelines and identifying sustainable end markets. In addition, Ceflex aims to develop collection, sorting and reprocessing infrastructure for post-consumer flexible packaging across Europe by 2025, through implementation of a sustainable business case that supports a circular economy and pilot projects for proof of principle.
Demand for flexible packaging in Europe is forecast to rise ? see Plasteurope.com of 20.06.2018 ? with faster growth observed in Eastern Europe than in Western Europe in 2017 ? see Plasteurope.com of 23.08.2018. According to Plastics Recyclers Europe (PRE, Brussels / Belgium; www.plasticsrecyclers.eu), since 2015, the European capacity for recycling flexible PE (LDPE, LLDPE, MDPE and HDPE) has grown from 1.5m t/y to 2.3m t/y ? see Plasteurope.com of 28.02.2018.24.01.2019 Plasteurope.com [241572-0]