BP&R speaks with Yannick Stanau, Business Development Manager at Lindner Washtech, and Gian Debelder, R&D Technical Director at Procter & Gamble (P&G), about how Flexloop is positioned to scale circular packaging.
lindner washtech
[BP&R] The slogan for Flexloop at this year’s K Show was: Ready for a revolution in mechanical recycling. Can you explain why this was chosen?
[YS] Recyclers who want to produce high-quality recyclate for hygiene and cosmetics packaging, or even food-contact applications, are often challenged by various contaminants in their feedstocks, especially when collected from household waste. During the mixed-waste collection process, different types of plastics come into contact with each other. NIAS (non-intentionally added substances), such as phthalates, dioxins and organic residues, can diffuse into the plastics. They can render the material non-viable for high-quality and highly sensitive applications.
This is where Flexloop comes in. It is not just a novel technology, but a technology that helps recyclers produce higher quantities of high-quality resins. Recyclers can continue using a technology they are familiar with, but can open new possibilities and markets by integrating this system. It’s the purity and the combination of what can be achieved with Flexloop that make it so revolutionary.
[BP&R] What is Flexloop, and how does it work?
[GD] Flexloop is a plastic-to-plastic, mechanical solvent extraction technology, which follows preliminary mechanical cleaning. During the Flexloop process, the solvents extract NIAS without destroying the polymer structure. It purifies and enables the upcycling of different types of feedstocks, from household packaging waste and commercial films (e.g. stretch films) to agricultural film, which may contain pesticides.
If we take household films, for example, several countries collect them from the curb side. We sort it out and end up with polyethylene films. Then, we do another sort on a small fraction, which we call the DKR 310 natural. These natural films get washed and put through Flexloop. Household films need to go through a standard cold washing to remove product residues and surface contamination. As a next step, the films are ‘flexlooped’. You can think of Flexloop as a process that uses selected solvents to reverse the migration of contaminants (NIAS). It also removes odour, de-inks surface prints and adhesives typically used on paper labels.
[YS] The Flexloop unit adds solvents to the flakes, stirring them for a defined amount of time to ensure they are clean. The NIAS, odours, adhesives and printing inks are extracted and taken away. We separate the liquids from the solids in the high-friction washer to isolate the clean flakes from the contaminated solvent. We repeat this process several times to achieve high-purity materials. This is all approved by an external lab and can be easily integrated into any Lindner washing and recycling line.
[BP&R] Did you encounter any hurdles, and what was key to overcoming them?
[YS] From a technical perspective, we had experience with cold and hot washing, but not with solvents. That was certainly a challenge. Together with P&G, we shared a common vision and goal, but had not yet figured out how to reach it. In the end, our expertise in engineering and waste handling, paired with a focused corporate Procter and Gamble R&D team, was a perfect match.
[BP&R] What challenges does Flexloop aim to solve that chemical recycling alone couldn’t?
[GD] Three years ago at K Show, there were a lot of announcements around chemical recycling, especially pyrolysis. We’ve not seen this in the past couple of years, and it’s because of energy costs.
Our process is more efficient. It all happens at ambient pressure, and so it doesn’t need any high-pressure processes. Energy is needed to recover the solvents, but it’s still significantly less than that of advanced chemical recycling. Also, Flexloop can be integrated into any recycling line, and the investment costs are comparatively low.
[BP&R] How does Flexloop facilitate scalable, circular packaging?
[YS] To scale it for circular packaging, we’ve designed Flexloop to ensure it fits into existing mechanical recycling markets. We have over 200 active projects where we could add it. This way, we’re not limited to one location but can bring value to partners and players in the recycling space all over the world. Furthermore, Flexloop enables recyclers to upcycle more plastics, even from household collection, to achieve a predictable quality, reliably removing NIAS, odour and surface inks. This ensures that plastic remains in the loop.
[GD] The Flexloop technology allows closed-loop recycling (film-to-film) in high-end applications, such as cosmetic and hygiene packaging for a wide variety of feedstock. It truly contributes to a circular economy for household packaging films, and we already have established valuable partnerships throughout the industry.
[BP&R] Are similar collaborations in the pipeline for Lindner Washtech and P&G?
[YS] For now, we’re focusing on Flexloop and on making post-household film waste suitable for hygiene applications. Food-grade will be the next step. There’s much more to do, and we’re only at the beginning.
Entering the market now with an energy-efficient and cost-sensitive solution like Flexloop is vital. We’ve received positive feedback at K Show 2025. Lindner and P&G believe in an open market and in developing the technology for everyone, which means it’s available to all recyclers, and they can sell the resins to any brand or converter.
[GD] At K, people asked whether the materials are going to be exclusive to P&G or not when they come on the market. As with previous projects, we want to buy a certain volume and leave the rest for the open market, so that it grows quickly.
As we are currently exploring options in Europe, since that’s where the Lindner team is based, we intend to scale it to other regions like North America soon after.