PureCycle: How Procter & Gamble want to revolutionise plastics recycling

Procter & Gamble, founded in 1837, are a US consumer goods company that is celebrating its 180th anniversary this year. Yet P&G’s corporate philosophy is anything but backward-looking. Their ongoing innovations have given them a worldwide reputation as pioneers in sustainable packaging solutions. P&G’s latest development in plastics recycling, PureCycle, is set to be a milestone for any future approach to waste material. The same is true for RecycleReady a technology designed by the international chemical group DOW and intended to open up new horizons in recycling.

Sustainably packaged shampoo with a timer to save water while showering, plastic bottles made from old plastic collected on the beach … and now a level of purity that might fundamentally revolutionise plastics recycling: P&G’s latest invention, PureCycle, is already seen by some players in the packaging industry as a possible breakthrough on the global recycling market. The innovative, patented packaging solution is to ensure that impurities can be removed from waste packaging almost completely.

So far the difference between virgin material and recycled plastic could easily be detected with the naked eye. Yet the problem with recycled plastic is not its grey colour. Rather, many market players are criticising the lack of quality and the less than 100% purity which is an important requirement for food packaging with its strict regulations.

A range of test series have now been completed with empty plastic packaging, resulting in PureCycle. This is how it works: The new method allows the renewal of recycled polypropylene so that it becomes almost indistinguishable from unused plastic. The underlying technology, which has already been patented, apparently permits the removal of virtually all impurities and residual dyes from recycled plastics. At the same time, the performance and properties are almost the same as in new materials.

A similar process is applied to the production of recycled plastic bottles. Apparently they are now almost identical to any counterparts made from new materials and therefore highly convincing. The bottles are based on recyclable PE material collected in domestic recycling bins. There’s something special about it: whereas conventional recycled materials often failed to meet the full range of stringent requirements in terms of appearance, quality and product safety, these recycled bottles are said to have exactly the same good qualities as the originals. In fact, their dark colours nicely hide the otherwise greyish material. After all, the bottles do need to be dark, as only separate colouring can ensure a high level of recyclability.

But the packaging market may well be revolutionised by yet another innovation: Running under the name RecycleReady, a new technology designed by the international chemical group DOW, has now been applied to stand-up pouches, using RETAIN Polymer Modifiers. It is the first time that such recyclable packaging is being produced with a barrier film. The new type of packaging can be fed back into the polyethylene recycling stream with the help of further polyethylene resins feature have improved barrier properties.