PureCycle Technologies, Inc. and Mitsui & Co., Ltd (Mitsui) announce their strategic partnership with RM TOHCELLO Co., Ltd. (RM TOHCELLO). The partnership marks a significant breakthrough in sustainable packaging, as BOPP film is a difficult application to achieve with meaningful recycled content because of the extremely high purity required.
PureCycle Technologies Inc
PureCycle & Mitsui Announce Strategic Partnership with RM TOHCELLO to Bring Recycled Polypropylene to Flexible Packaging in Japan
The partnership was initiated in Q1 2023, when RM TOHCELLO began running initial samples of PureFive resin provided by PureCycle & Mitsui. The partners are now preparing to introduce these materials to converters and brand owners in Japan, with a formal commercial agreement anticipated in 2027 and shipments to Japan following compliance with import regulations.
“This partnership represents exactly the kind of step-change we envisioned when PureCycle's technology was developed. We’re unlocking an entire segment of applications where recycled content had been locked out,” said Wiebe Schipper, PureCycle VP of European and Asia Pacific Operations. “The fact that we have now successfully completed trials with one of the world's premier film producers is a powerful validation of what our resin can do. We are energised by what this means for our customers, for brand owners, and for the future of sustainable packaging.”
BOPP film is used in food packaging, labels, and consumer goods applications, where optical clarity, consistency, and performance are required. Mechanically recycled polypropylene falls short of the quality requirements these applications demand, which has kept recycled content from being used in this packaging market.
Masaru Furukawa, RM TOHCELLO Executive Officer, Head, Business Sector, added, “Flexible films are one of the fastest-growing segments in packaging, and we’ve been waiting for a solution like PureCycle’s to allow us to start using recycled content in BOPP film and PP sealant film. We believe these innovative films can help transform post-consumer waste into materials contributing to GHG-emission avoidance. We would like to promote application developments with our value chain partners.”