New Chemical Recycling Project Targets Food-Grade Flexible Packaging

The global plastic packaging industry is entering a new phase of sustainable development as manufacturers, food brands, and packaging suppliers look for practical ways to reduce plastic waste. One of the biggest challenges is how to recycle flexible plastic packaging and turn used materials into new packaging without compromising product quality or food safety.

In June 2026, the InFACT project was launched in Europe to address this challenge. Led by the Danish Technological Institute, the project brings together 16 partners, including Nestlé, Interzero, TotalEnergies, Coveris, and other organizations across the packaging value chain. The initiative aims to demonstrate how household-collected flexible plastic packaging can be transformed into new packaging materials, including materials suitable for food-contact applications. The project is scheduled to run from 2026 to 2028.

This development highlights the growing importance of chemical recycling for food-grade flexible packaging. As regulatory requirements evolve and demand for recycled materials increases, recycling technologies could help create new opportunities for plastic bag manufacturers, food packaging suppliers, and international buyers.

Key Takeaways

The InFACT project aims to establish a circular system for recycling flexible plastic packaging collected from households.

Chemical recycling and complementary technologies may help recover materials that are difficult to process through conventional mechanical recycling.

Food safety, material quality, and reliable traceability remain essential for recycled food packaging.

European packaging regulations are increasing the importance of recyclability and documented recycled content.

Packaging manufacturers should evaluate new materials carefully before introducing recycled content into commercial products.

1. Why Is Flexible Plastic Packaging Recycling Receiving More Attention?

Flexible plastic packaging is widely used because it is lightweight, versatile, and cost-effective. Common applications include food pouches, meat packaging films, snack bags, coffee packaging, shopping bags, and mailing bags.

These products protect goods during transportation and storage while helping businesses reduce packaging weight. However, recycling used flexible packaging remains difficult in many waste management systems.

Many food packages contain several layers of plastic, barrier materials, printing inks, adhesives, or metallized films. These components are selected to protect products from moisture, oxygen, contamination, and other environmental factors.

Although these structures can provide excellent packaging performance, their mixed composition makes conventional recycling more complicated. Some collected materials are therefore downcycled into lower-value products or sent for energy recovery instead of being converted into new packaging.

The InFACT project seeks to address this gap by connecting waste collection, sorting, recycling, packaging production, and food businesses in a coordinated system.

According to the project announcement, less than 15% of flexible plastic packaging in Europe is currently recycled, despite its significant share of the packaging market. Improving collection and processing could help recover more valuable materials and reduce waste.

For the flexible packaging industry, this creates an important opportunity to develop solutions that balance product protection, cost efficiency, and environmental performance.

2. What Is Chemical Recycling for Food-Grade Flexible Packaging?

Chemical recycling refers to technologies that break plastic waste down into chemical feedstocks or other usable intermediate materials. Depending on the process, these materials can be purified and used to produce new polymers.

Unlike conventional mechanical recycling, which generally involves sorting, washing, melting, and reprocessing plastic, certain chemical recycling methods can handle selected waste streams that are difficult to recycle mechanically.

For food-grade flexible packaging, the potential advantage is the ability to recover useful feedstocks from complex plastic waste and produce new materials that may be suitable for demanding applications.

However, chemical recycling is not a single process. Different technologies have different feedstock requirements, conversion efficiencies, environmental impacts, and output qualities. Not every process can handle every type of flexible packaging.

The recycled feedstock must also undergo appropriate processing and quality controls before it can be used in food-contact applications. Regulatory authorization and evidence of safety are essential where required.

The InFACT project is designed to demonstrate a coordinated recycling system rather than relying on one technology alone. Its approach combines collection, sorting, recycling, and packaging design to explore how household plastic waste can return to the packaging supply chain.

3. What Makes Food-Grade Flexible Packaging Difficult to Recycle?

Food packaging must meet strict performance and safety requirements. Recycled materials must therefore be evaluated against several important factors.

Complex Material Structures

Many flexible packages combine polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamide, polyester, adhesives, and barrier layers. These materials perform different functions, but mixed structures can complicate recycling.

Mono-material packaging designs may simplify certain recycling processes, while chemical recycling could offer additional options for selected complex waste streams.

Food Residues and Contamination

Used food packaging can contain grease, food residues, moisture, and other contaminants. Waste collection and sorting systems must manage these issues before materials enter recycling processes.

For applications involving direct food contact, the recycled material must meet the applicable safety requirements.

Printing Inks and Adhesives

Printing helps brands communicate product information and establish their visual identity. However, inks, adhesives, coatings, and metallized layers can affect the suitability of collected packaging for particular recycling technologies.

Packaging designers must therefore consider both product performance and end-of-life processing.

Consistent Material Quality

Manufacturers need reliable specifications for thickness, strength, appearance, sealing performance, and other product properties. Recycled feedstocks must be processed and tested to achieve the quality required by the intended application.

These challenges explain why food-grade flexible packaging recycling requires collaboration among material suppliers, recyclers, packaging converters, brand owners, and regulators.

4. How the InFACT Project Could Change the Packaging Supply Chain

The InFACT initiative brings together organizations from different stages of the packaging life cycle. Its objective is to demonstrate a more integrated system that can turn collected flexible plastic packaging into feedstock for new packaging applications.

The project involves the Danish Technological Institute, Nestlé, Interzero, TotalEnergies, Coveris, and other partners working across waste management, research, recycling, and packaging production.

Its work focuses on several connected areas.

Improving collection and sorting: Used flexible packaging must be collected and separated into suitable material streams. Better sorting can improve feedstock quality and help direct materials toward appropriate recycling technologies.

Developing recycling pathways: Different plastic waste streams may require different processing methods. Combining complementary technologies could expand the range of materials that can be recovered.

Connecting recyclers and packaging manufacturers: Recycling systems need dependable demand for their outputs. Collaboration with packaging producers and food companies can help establish clearer material specifications and potential end markets.

Evaluating food-contact applications: Recovered materials must undergo appropriate assessment to determine whether they can be used in food packaging under applicable regulations.

The project is expected to continue through 2028. Its results could provide useful information about technical feasibility, supply chain coordination, and the practical challenges of scaling up flexible packaging recycling.

However, the launch of the project does not mean that all household plastic packaging can already be recycled into new food-grade bags at commercial scale. Demonstration results and regulatory requirements will be important in determining future applications.

5. How European Packaging Regulations Influence Recycling Innovation

Regulation is another important factor driving the development of recycled packaging materials.

The European Union's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, known as PPWR, entered into force on February 11, 2025, and generally began applying on August 12, 2026, subject to specific provisions and transitional arrangements.

The regulation establishes a broader framework for packaging sustainability, including recyclability, waste reduction, and requirements concerning recycled content in certain plastic packaging.

These developments are encouraging packaging companies to examine their material choices earlier in the product development process.

For example, a food brand purchasing custom packaging bags may need to consider whether the packaging design supports recycling, whether recycled content can be documented, and whether the material is suitable for its intended use.

For exporters, the details matter. Requirements can differ according to packaging type, product category, destination market, and implementation timetable. Suppliers should not assume that every recycled-content target applies equally to every plastic bag.

Chemical recycling may contribute to future recycled feedstock supplies, but its role depends on the applicable rules, accepted calculation methods, material traceability, and evidence of compliance.

Packaging manufacturers that understand these issues will be better prepared to communicate with international buyers and evaluate emerging material options.

6. What Does This Mean for Plastic Bag Manufacturers?

The development of chemical recycling creates potential opportunities, but it also requires manufacturers to make careful decisions.

Evaluate Recycled Materials for Suitable Applications

Not every recycled resin is suitable for every product. Manufacturers should assess material origin, technical specifications, processing behavior, and applicable compliance documentation before using recycled content.

Non-food-contact products may offer different material options from packaging intended for direct contact with food.

Maintain Product Performance

Plastic bags must still perform their intended functions. Depending on the application, buyers may require strong seals, puncture resistance, moisture protection, transparency, print quality, or reliable load-bearing performance.

Material changes should be supported by appropriate testing and production trials.

Strengthen Supplier Documentation

International buyers increasingly ask suppliers to provide material specifications, test reports, declarations, and supporting documents. The exact requirements depend on the product and target market.

Manufacturers should maintain accurate records and avoid making unsupported claims about recyclability, recycled content, or food safety.

Review Packaging Design

Where technically appropriate, simpler material structures may improve compatibility with existing recycling systems. Manufacturers can work with buyers to evaluate thickness, material combinations, inks, adhesives, and packaging formats.

The best solution depends on the product's protection needs, cost targets, production equipment, and local recycling infrastructure.

Monitor Emerging Technologies

Recycling technologies are developing rapidly, but commercial availability and economics remain important considerations. Manufacturers should monitor pilot projects, material suppliers, and regulatory developments rather than assuming that every new technology is ready for immediate adoption.

7. Potential Applications of Recycled Flexible Packaging Materials

As recycling technologies and supply chains improve, recovered materials may become relevant to a wider range of packaging applications.

Potential applications will depend on material quality, regulatory approval, and the capabilities of individual recycling processes.

For food-contact applications, recycled material must meet all applicable safety requirements. For non-food applications, manufacturers must still verify that the material performs consistently and meets customer specifications.

It is also important to distinguish between recyclable packaging and packaging made with recycled content. These describe different characteristics: one concerns the packaging's potential end-of-life processing, while the other concerns the material used to manufacture it.

8. What Should International Buyers Ask Their Packaging Suppliers?

As sustainable packaging becomes more important, procurement teams should evaluate suppliers on more than price alone.

Before placing a bulk order, buyers can ask:

What polymer types and material structures are used in the packaging?

Is recycled content available for the requested product?

Can the supplier provide traceability or documentation supporting recycled-content claims?

Is the material suitable for the intended food-contact or non-food application?

What testing is available for thickness, tensile strength, sealing, and other relevant performance requirements?

Is the packaging compatible with recycling systems in the target market?

Can the supplier provide samples for evaluation before mass production?

These questions help buyers compare suppliers more effectively and reduce the risk of selecting materials that fail to meet technical or regulatory requirements.

For packaging manufacturers, clear answers supported by reliable documentation can strengthen buyer confidence and improve long-term cooperation.

9. The Future of Food-Grade Flexible Packaging

The InFACT project illustrates a broader shift in the packaging industry: recycling is increasingly being considered as part of the entire packaging system rather than as an isolated waste management activity.

Collection infrastructure, sorting technology, material science, packaging design, regulatory compliance, and market demand all influence whether flexible plastic packaging can become part of a circular economy.

Chemical recycling may help recover materials from selected waste streams that are difficult to process through conventional methods. Nevertheless, its long-term contribution will depend on technical performance, environmental impacts, investment costs, regulatory acceptance, and the availability of reliable feedstocks.

Mechanical recycling and better packaging design will also remain important parts of the wider solution.

For plastic bag manufacturers, the practical priority is to understand changing customer requirements, assess suitable material options, and maintain dependable quality and compliance systems.

Conclusion

The launch of the InFACT project represents an important development in the search for more circular flexible packaging solutions. By connecting waste collection, recycling technologies, packaging producers, and food companies, the initiative aims to demonstrate how household plastic waste could become a resource for new packaging materials.

Chemical recycling for food-grade flexible packaging offers potential benefits, particularly for selected complex waste streams. However, food safety, material quality, traceability, commercial feasibility, and regulatory approval remain essential.

For international buyers and packaging suppliers, the next few years will be important for understanding which technologies can move from demonstration to practical application. Companies that combine reliable product performance with responsible material selection and transparent documentation will be better positioned to respond to the changing global packaging market.

F A Q

1. What is chemical recycling in plastic packaging?

Chemical recycling uses processes that convert selected plastic waste into chemical feedstocks or intermediate materials that can be used to manufacture new products, including polymers.

2. Can chemically recycled plastic be used for food packaging?

Potentially, yes. The material and recycling process must meet the applicable food-contact safety requirements, and the necessary regulatory authorization must be obtained where required.

3. What is the InFACT project?

InFACT is a European initiative led by the Danish Technological Institute. Running from 2026 to 2028, it aims to demonstrate a circular system for turning collected flexible plastic packaging into new packaging materials.

4. Is chemical recycling better than mechanical recycling?

Neither method is universally better. Their suitability depends on the plastic waste stream, product requirements, process efficiency, environmental impacts, and economic conditions. Both may contribute to a broader recycling system.

5. What should plastic packaging buyers consider when choosing recycled materials?

Buyers should assess material specifications, product performance, food-contact suitability where relevant, traceability, supporting documentation, cost, and the recycling infrastructure available in the destination market.