Joint project develops pouch made from recycled BOPP film
TOPPAN, RM Tohcello and Mitsui Chemicals have developed a pouch made from recycled BOPP film for mass production.
Recycled BOPP film developed by TOPPAN, RM Tohcello and Mitsui Chemicals.
In May 2022, Mitsui Chemicals launched RePLAYER Renewable Plastics Layer System, an initiative that aims to recover film waste from flexible packaging converters, remove any ink from it, pelletize the remaining material and turn those pellets into new flexible packaging film.
Since August 2023, the three companies entered a partnership and worked on a joint pilot test for the horizontal recycling of printed BOPP flexible packaging film.
Printed film waste generated by TOPPAN is get, collected and taken to Mitsui Chemicals’ Nagoya Works, where the ink is removed and the waste is turned into pellets. These pellets are then turned into film by RM Tohcello.
Role of each company.
The recycled film has been tested for mass production purposes at TOPPAN packaging facilities. The results find the film to be suited for mass production processes such as printing, laminating, and pouch forming. The companies have also evaluated the physical properties of the film in pouch form, confirming that it is fit for use as packaging.
The companies begin providing samples of this recycled film within October 2024. They also expect to see the new material enter into society within fiscal 2025.
