Close the Loop

Closing the loop requires us to design for recyclability, maximise post-consumer recycled content (PCR) quality and availability, and to work with industry stakeholders on policy, consumer education and planning to ensure suitable infrastructure is available. We must also consistently upgrade and re-engineer our production processes to maximise the amount of PCR we’re able to use.

Highlights in 2022

63%

Recyclable alternatives offered for 63% of our products

9%

Circular Tray2Tray^® initiative generated 9% of our PCR during the year

30%

30% of our products by volume are designed for recyclablity, an 8% increase since 2019

Target I: Use more recycled material

By the end of 2025, we will use at least 30% post-consumer recycled material in our packaging.

Highlights in 2022

Market fluctuations challenged the industry on PCR usage and availability. We maintained a strong level of PCR usage through focus on efficiencies by optimising process efficiencies.

Future Outlook

We will continue to lead in the use of PCR by leveraging our experience in developing secure supply channels and fostering demand in the markets, while ensuring we deliver the highest quality PCR products.

Target II: Close the packaging loop

By 2025, at least 30% of the post-consumer recycled material in our packaging will be from the kp Tray2Tray^® (T2T) initiative.

Highlights in 2022

We increased our share of T2T in a challenging market thanks to strong supplier partnerships.

Future outlook

Strong partnerships are key to stable supply across the value chain and weare committed to expanding this programme as quickly as possible.

Target III: Recyclability

By 2025, 100% of our packaging will be recyclable.

Highlights in 2022

While our overall recyclable share increased 2% to 30%, we now have recyclable alternatives for 63% of our overall product portfolio versus 54% last year.

Future outlook

Our immediate focus is to have as many recyclable alternatives as possible for our product portfolio. We are fully committed to working with the whole value chain to ensure recyclable packaging is actually recycled at scale.

Close the Loop in action

Collaborating to use more PCR content in our films

If more products can have a ‘sustainable alternative’ then more PCR material will become available. 2022 saw us work more with brands and thermoformers to increase the amount of PCR materials in our consumer packaging films. Activities such as this, where PCR content is increasingly useful in a range of different products, means that market demand goes up, which in turn encourages more recycling.

Collaborating to use more PCR content in our films

The broader impact of kp Tray2Tray®

We are applying our kp Tray2Tray^® solution to several of our packaging ranges, including our kp Eternal^® range, a product containing up to 100% post-consumer rPET, which is itself fully recyclable. By bringing this innovative premium packaging together with kp Tray2Tray^®we are fully closing the loop on plastic trays.

By using food-grade recycled PET, we are ensuring that trays made with kp Tray2Tray^® can be sorted and recycled back into food-grade packaging with no compromise on functionality or safety. We can replicate this with kp Elite^®, kp Evolve^® and kp MonoSeal^®.

Breakthrough pharmaceutical packaging

Pharmaceutical blister packaging is typically made using plastics and aluminium. To improve its recyclability, we launched Pentapharm^® kpNext^® RB5, a recyclable, vinyl-free and halogen-free barrier blister film. The film works with existing customer production lines, with the same thermoforming functionality as traditional packaging.

While kpNext^® R1 was a monolayer, non-barrier film recyclable in the RIC 1 PET stream, kpNext^® RB5 offers barrier properties without the loss of recyclability and is also recyclable in the RIC 5 polypropylene stream. The recyclability of kpNext^® RB5 and lidding film have also been approved by Institute cyclos-HTP and by Etimex.