DSM collaborates with APK to increase sustainability of multilayer food packaging films

Royal DSM and APK are collaborating to increase the sustainable benefits of multilayer food packaging films.

Multilayer barrier films for food packaging often consist of a combination of PE and PA6, where PE acts as a barrier for moisture and PA6 as a barrier for oxygen, which extends the shelf life of the packaged food.

This packaging cannot be produced with a mono-material PE film, as the layer thicknesses to achieve sufficient barrier properties would become too high.

The addition of PA6 in the multi-material solution reduces the total layer thickness and improves the mechanical integrity of the film, resulting in less rupture of the films during transportation and logistics.

APK and DSM are also able to address the “End-of-Life” stage of the Life Cycle of a multilayer PE/PA6 packaging film using APK’s Newcycling process.

The process makes it possible to recover high-quality re-granulates with properties close to virgin plastics, from complex mixtures and multi-layer composites.

Florian Riedl, Head of Business Development at APK AG, said: “The Newcycling process works highly cost-efficient and offers a competitive, sustainable material source. The re-granulates, generated from multilayer PE/PA6 packaging waste, can be used again in demanding flexible packaging which contributes to the target of a circular economy.”

APK is building a plant for recycling multilayer PE/PA6 packaging, using Newcycling process, which will start up later this year.