Page 28 - Plastics News July 2021

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

European Partners launch )UDQFH FRQ¿UPV ODZ RQ UHF\FOHG
MERLIN Project content in plastic bottles

synergic solution to increase the quality and rate of rance has confirmed that a new law has been
A recycled multi-layer packaging waste will be developed Fintroduced that will see minimum recycled content
by MERLIN project, a new Horizon 2020 initiative that for plastic bottles. By 2025, there will need to be
gathers 14 European partners with a common objective: D PLQLPXP RI UHF\FOHG FRQWHQW LQ 3(7 ERWWOHV
the development of disruptive processes for the sorting, 7KHQ E\ WKHUH ZLOO QHHG WR EH D PLQLPXP RI
GHODPLQDWLRQ DQG UHF\FOLQJ RI ULJLG DQG ÁH[LEOH PXOWL recycled content in all plastic bottles. However, France
layer plastic packaging with a circular economy model. has made an exemption for non-refrigerated plastic
Coordinated by the Spanish research centre ITENE, sorting milk bottles, insofar as recycled HDPE and recycled
opaque PET are not authorised for food contact uses.
By 2025, it will produce a progress report to investigate
whether these can be included in the plan. France
has submitted that this law has been introduced to
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Organisation. The law will be implemented by the
Ministry of Ecological Transition. The wide-ranging
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technology providers, recyclers, research centres, social UHF\FOLQJ RI RI SODVWLFV E\ DQG WKH SKDVLQJ RXW
innovation experts and end-users have now 36 months of all single-use plastics by 2040. According to industry
of work ahead to design recycling solutions for rigid ÀJXUHV )UDQFH V FXUUHQW UHF\FOLQJ UDWH IRU SODVWLFV SXWV LW
DQG ÁH[LEOH PXOWL OD\HU SODVWLF SDFNDJLQJ ZDVWH FRPLQJ DPRQJ WKH (8 V SRRU SHUIRUPHUV (DUOLHU 2Q -DQXDU\
from post-consumer and post-industrial sources in order )UDQFH WRRN LWV ÀUVW VWHSV WRZDUGV SKDVLQJ RXW
to obtain new high-performance packaging solutions single-use plastics. The ban started with plastic plates,
(flexible and rigid) for the food packaging industry. cups and cotton buds, and plastic straws and cutlery
2IÀFLDOO\ VWDUWHG RQ -XQH VW 0(5/,1 VROXWLRQV will follow on 1 January 2021, while 2022 is expected to
will be gradually implemented starting with the sorting see a ban on plastic tea bags and toys distributed free
SURFHVV WKDW ZLOO RFFXU FRPELQLQJ RSWLFDO VHQVRUV $UWLÀFLDO of charge in fast food restaurants. In 2022, fast food
Intelligence and robotics. Subsequently, the delamination
process will optimize depolymerisation and using
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recycling techniques for repolymerization and upcycling
of polymers, and the validation, by developing rigid and
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of the processes. These solutions will be developed and
later validated in a real environment to TRL 6. MERLIN,
which stands for “Increasing the quality and rate of
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have a positive impact on the environment, recovering
and recycling the 3.03 Mt/year of multi-layer packaging
waste in Europe, leading to a reduction of greenhouse restaurants will no longer be allowed to use disposable
gas emissions and the dependence on imported fossil GLVKHV IRU PHDOV VHUYHG RQ VLWH )ROORZLQJ WKLV )UDQFH V
fuels. MERLIN will contribute to the European Strategy ÀUVW ]HUR VLQJOH XVH SODVWLF KRWHO RSHQHG LWV GRRUV LQ
IRU 3ODVWLFV 7KH &LUFXODU 3ODVWLFV $OOLDQFH WKH (8 *UHHQ January 2020. This innovative approach will eliminate
Deal, and the achievement of Sustainable Development more than 24,000 plastic bottles, 55,000 cosmetics
Goals 3, 4, 5, 7, 13 & 19. packaging and 16,000 plastic bags each year.

Plastics News July 2021 28