Skymark and Aimplas reach end of project to decontaminate film

Skymark, a packaging extrusion firm based in Scunthorpe, is working to compete a project with the Spanish research centre AIMPLAS to recycle printed films.

The project CLIPP+ is finding ways to remove odours and contaminants for the reuse of printed films. It is in the last months of development and has now reached implementation of a machine at industrial scale for the decontamination and deodorization of film.

The project had funding from the European Union through the research and development programme Horizon2020.

This technology will allow the recycling of printed films for their use in higher added value applications, since up till now most of the printed packages were treated as non-recyclable wastes with a use in application with low added value, such as rubbish bags and flowerpots, or to be landfilled.

Thanks to the use of super-critical carbon dioxide technologies as decontaminant, a recycled film suitable for its use in applications of higher added value for the packaging sector, such as film for packaging of paper rolls and other hygienic products was obtained.

Skymark will now install its decontaminating machine at its factory in Scunthorpe. The firm said that due to this collaboration, it has reduced the cost of the process to make more sustainable packages. The new technology developed will raise the profile and the capabilities of the plastics recycling industry, marked by an increasingly strict legislation for packaging waste.