Opackgroup, together with recycling specialist Morssinkhof-Rymoplast, has developed a circular packaging format for the food and beverage industry. The solution combines a recycled PET bottle and cap with a post-consumer recycled stretch sleeve, supporting the wider shift toward food and drink sustainability and more responsible food and drink packaging.
Designing packaging for circularity
The stretch sleeve is fitted to the PET container without adhesive. This design choice supports efficient recycling because the flexible polyethylene sleeve can be separated from the PET bottle at an early stage of the process. The sleeve contains 50% post-consumer recycled material, while the bottle is produced entirely from recycled PET.
Once the packaging has been used, it enters the collection system and is transported to Morssinkhof-Rymoplast for processing into flakes. During air separation, the lightweight sleeve material is removed from the heavier PET fraction. A subsequent sink-float process relies on differences in density to separate the PET, sleeve and cap materials.
Since the sleeve is applied without adhesive, the washing stage avoids contamination from glue residues. Additional cleaning then produces a high-purity PET stream suitable for use in premium recycled PET applications. This approach demonstrates how food processing technology and food manufacturing trends are increasingly focused on improving material recovery through packaging design.
The remaining material streams also retain commercial value. Recovered LDPE from the stretch sleeve can be converted into new plastic feedstock, while the caps are recycled for further applications. A cap-to-cap recycling route is currently being developed. The sleeve label is fully recyclable,” helping keep the PET stream free from adhesive contamination.
By combining recyclable structures with recycled content, the solution reflects broader food and beverage industry trends, including food and drink industry innovation, evolving food distribution trends and growing food and drink consumer trends. It also supports brands seeking practical responses to food and drink regulations while strengthening food and drink marketing messages around circularity and resource efficiency.
