Is plastic recycling a hoax? Can PEF shrink film break the recycling dilemma and help packaging sustainability?

Plastic recycling trap: Recycling is not a panacea.

Do you know? Every plastic product has a small "identity card": a triangle logo consisting of three arrows. Seeing this logo, do you also think that plastic can be recycled? Don't be misled by this "recyclable arrow". This is called the "Plastic Classification Logo", which was designed and released by the American Plastics Industry Association in 1988. There are seven types in total. The original intention of the logo is to classify the components of plastic products, not to represent recycling. In fact, only 1, 2, 4, and 5 of 1-7 can be recycled, and the others cannot.

Plastic recycling is a common topic. In recent years, as the plastic problem becomes increasingly serious, more and more corporate giants are working together to overcome the recycling problem. But recycling plastic waste is still more difficult than imagined! Data from the United Nations Environment Program shows that of the 7 billion tons of plastic waste generated worldwide, most of the plastics are either landfilled, incinerated, or leaked into the environment, and less than 10% are recycled. That is to say, technically speaking, many plastic materials can be recycled, but the reality is that this is extremely challenging both operationally and economically for many material recycling facilities.

First, classification is difficult. Plastics have different ignition points, melting points, and additives, so a lot of manual processing is required. Second, the pollution is too great. During the recycling, burning, and dissolving of plastics, a large amount of plasticizers will be produced, and the consequences of entering the natural environment will be disastrous. Third, and most importantly, plastic recycling is not economical at all. The cost of recycling plastics is much higher than producing new plastics because the cost of collecting, sorting, transporting, and processing plastic waste is too high. The development of recycled plastic products is also unlikely to affect people's demand for the use of new plastic products.

It is clear that attempts to recycle plastics have failed. Assuming that the technical and economic challenges can be overcome, we have to face the problem that when plastic products are reprocessed, they can only be recycled a limited number of times. And eventually, they will be incinerated or thrown into landfills. A 1986 report by an industry association called the Vinyl Institute concluded that "recycling cannot be considered a permanent solid waste solution for plastics" because it only prolongs the time it takes for items to be disposed of.

At this point, do you still think that the hot "PCR material" is the best recycling and environmentally friendly solution? Perhaps each of us has the answer in our hearts. Recycling can only temporarily delay the problem. The fundamental way to solve the problem is to develop new materials and new technologies as soon as possible to replace non-recyclable plastics.

Be at the forefront, take practical actions, and explore the environmental value of PEF.

“The entire value chain, from raw material suppliers, film Processors to brand owners, has set ambitious recycling targets,” said Mr. Liu Kun, General Manager of Shantou Mingca Packing Materials Co., Ltd. “For Mingca, it is important to be able to develop a heat shrink film product that is easier to physically recycle.”

As a branch of the plastics field, the heat shrink film industry also faces the problem of material recyclability. Mingca's ultimate goal is to create a polyethylene-based heat shrink film with improved recyclability* to help meet the needs of customers. After four years of cooperation, Mingca and ExxonMobil have developed a new generation of Non-Crosslinked Recyclable PEF Shrink Film! Why is PEF film an environmentally friendly material that is at the forefront of the times? Let me explain in detail.

First of all, PEF film is made of a mono polyethylene structure using a double bubble technology and downward water-cooled blown process, without the need for physical cross-linking, which is a major technological breakthrough in the history of the heat shrink film industry. Compared with the conventional composite POF solution, the PEF film structure of the new solution makes the produced packaging easier to physically recycle*. The recyclability of the film structure has also been verified by the third party of TÜV Rheinland in Germany. It has now obtained the EU Renewable Product Packaging Certification and China Double Easy Certification, avoiding the recycling problem from the root of material design, and is easy to recycle and regenerate.

Secondly, compared with multi-material solutions, PEF film not only helps improve recyclability*, but also has excellent packaging performance. For example, excellent properties such as low shrinkage temperature, high shrinkage rate, high transparency, and small shrink corners can maximize the appearance of the product, help the product show excellent "shelf appeal", and make the contents of the package more attractive to consumers.

Finally, the frequent release of plastic regulations has made sustainability a key trend that will continue to dominate the packaging industry in the future. The EU's "Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation" requires that all packaging on the European market must be reusable or recyclable by 2030. This shift expands the responsibility of producers for the post-consumer stage of products, including the imposition of special fees on plastic packaging materials. This will also guide companies to operate legally and in compliance with regulations, and the general trend of using recyclable packaging materials is inevitable.

"From the perspective of recyclability*, PEF shrink film is a major innovation, which brings more possibilities for recycling in the packaging industry," said Mr. Liu Kun. As a powerful enterprise in the polyolefin industry, Mingca Packing will continue to grow resiliently in the future and develop more "long-distance runners" to help brands, markets and the world take the road of sustainable development of packaging, so that plastic recycling is no longer a lie, but an indisputable fact.

*recyclable in communities with programs and facilities in place that collect and recycle platice film