Recycling of aseptic carton packaging

The importance of a circular economy

According to Eurostat , the amount of municipal waste generated per person in the European Union (EU) in a year is about 500 kg and is expected to increase in the coming years. Moreover, the increase in the world population and the new consumption needs of developing countries make the issue of waste and its disposal particularly important. Therefore, the transition from a linear economy to a circular economy is not only desirable, but necessary to reuse, adjust, renew and recycle existing materials and products, making sure that what was considered as waste can become a resource for production of new objects. This generates a lower emission of CO2 in the environment, given the lesser waste of resources to produce materials.

Carton packaging recycling trends

According to the Alliance for beverage cartons and the environment, in 2017 48% of all beverage cartons sold in the European Union were recycled, with some countries having rates over 70%. Recycling of beverage cartons in Europe has grown steadily over the last fifteen years. This is almost a 70-fold increase on 1992 figures, when just 6,000 tons were recycled.

Analyzing the material of the individual waste, we can see how paper and carton perform significantly better than other types of materials. Every year in Europe , more than 60 million tons of paper are collected to be recycled. 50% come from commercial businesses and from industry, 40% from domestic collection and 10% from collection in offices. The industry chain paper has pledged to achieve a recycling rate of 74% by 2020. In comparison, the European plastics industry has a recycling rate of only 29.7%.

Speaking exclusively of recycling of paper and carton packaging, they have the highest recycling rate of any packaging material, at 82.6%, followed by metal (76.2%), glass (73.1%), plastic (39.8%) and wood (39.3%).

How are aseptic cartons recycled?

Our company strongly promotes the recycling of our aseptic carton packaging.

They are fully recyclable: find out how!

The paperboard is separated from aluminium and polyethylene thanks to the use of large tanks of hot water, which allows, together with the blades, the separation of this material, which is then subjected to specific treatments for the elimination of contaminants. The dough is ready to be used in the subsequent processing stages and, after being dried, new paper is formed which is put back on the market.

Aluminium is subjected to a first treatment at about 500° which has the purpose of purging the metal of paints and subsequently the temperature is brought to about 800° degrees, starting the melting phase. Ingots and plates are obtained to produce semi-finished products and new products. Recycled aluminium has the same properties and qualities as the original aluminium and is used in many sectors, including the automotive and construction industries.

For polyethylene there is a first washing phase (by flotation, so as to eliminate any foreign bodies) and a subsequent centrifugation and grinding phase from which various formats are obtained. From any different plastic format, it is possible to obtain food trays, bag ties, flower pots, building membranes, car components (dashboards and car mats) and blister packs for medicines.

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