Germany Henkel has developed a solution for black plastic packaging that is fully recyclable. The new development done in association with Ampacet, a global provider of masterbatch, uses an alternative carbon-free black colour, enabling used bottles to be integrated back into the value chain.
It will be introduced for black bottles of toilet cleaning products under the Bref brand in May, followed by further Henkel products in the course of this year.
Black plastic packaging poses a challenge for the recycling value chain as it uses colour. Recycling facilities use near infra-red (NIR) technology to identify the plastic materials to be recycled. The optical sensors utilise the reflection of light to detect the material and sort it accordingly. Black plastic packaging, however, due to presence of carbon black cannot be identified and sorted properly by these optical sensors.
Cyclos-HTP, an institute specialized in the classification, assessment and certification of recyclability of packaging and goods certified that Henkel’s bottles with this carbon-free black color are fully detectable and sortable.
“Recognising that black bottles are one of the central challenges when it comes to recyclability of used packaging, we want to be part of the solution: The new material will contribute to closing the loop of plastic packaging in a sustainable way,” says Vineet Varman, head of international packaging development for special detergents at Henkel Laundry & Home Care. “Our joint development projects across all our three business units underline Henkel’s commitment to sustainable packaging and to drive progress toward a circular value chain.”
Henkel’s packaging development teams are now working on successfully integrating the new material into additional packaging types while ensuring it meets the highest quality standards. As a next step, they are driving the integration of recycled content in the packaging.
“We are honoured to partner with Henkel to support the circular economy with this innovation,” says Philippe Hugelé, Ampacet strategic business manager, moulding. “As part of our sustainability initiative, our REC-NIR-BLACK carbon-black free masterbatch provides a second life for black plastic packaging by allowing scanning by near-infrared technology for automated sorting at recovery facilities. We are pleased to be able to contribute to packaging recyclability for Henkel’s iconic brands.”