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Review

Recyclability and Redesign Challenges in Multilayer Flexible Food Packaging—A Review

by
Anna-Sophia Bauer
1,
Manfred Tacker
1,2,
Ilke Uysal-Unalan
3,4,
Rui M. S. Cruz
5,6,
Theo Varzakas
7 and
Victoria Krauter
1,*
1
Packaging and Resource Management, Department Applied Life Sciences, FH Campus Wien, University of Applied Sciences, Helmut-Qualtinger-Gasse 2/2/3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
2
Circular Analytics TK GmbH, Otto-Bauer-Gasse 3/13, 1060 Vienna, Austria
3
Department of Food Science, Aarhus University, Agro Food Park 48, 8200 Aarhus, Denmark
4
CiFOOD—Center for Innovative Food Research, Aarhus University, Agro Food Park 48, 8200 Aarhus, Denmark
5
Department of Food Engineering, Institute of Engineering, Campus da Penha, Universidade do Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
6
MED—Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Campus de Gambelas, Universidade do Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
7
Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Peloponnese, 24100 Kalamata, Greece
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Foods 2021, 10(11), 2702; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10112702
Submission received: 29 September 2021 / Revised: 24 October 2021 / Accepted: 30 October 2021 / Published: 5 November 2021
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers on Sustainable Food Packaging)
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Abstract

Multilayer flexible food packaging is under pressure to redesign for recyclability. Most multilayer films are not sorted and recycled with the currently available infrastructure, which is based on mechanical recycling in most countries. Up to now, multilayer flexible food packaging was highly customizable. Diverse polymers and non-polymeric layers allowed a long product shelf-life and an optimized material efficiency. The need for more recyclable solutions asks for a reduction in the choice of material. Prospectively, there is a strong tendency that multilayer flexible barrier packaging should be based on polyolefins and a few recyclable barrier layers, such as aluminium oxide (AlOx) and silicon oxide (SiOx). The use of ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) and metallization could be more restricted in the future, as popular Design for Recycling Guidelines have recently reduced the maximum tolerable content of barrier materials in polyolefin packaging. The substitution of non-recyclable flexible barrier packaging is challenging because only a limited number of barriers are available. In the worst case, the restriction on material choice could result in a higher environmental burden through a shortened food shelf-life and increased packaging weights.
Keywords: multilayer packaging; flexible packaging; polyolefin; recyclability; redesign; mono-material; shelf-life of foods multilayer packaging; flexible packaging; polyolefin; recyclability; redesign; mono-material; shelf-life of foods

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MDPI and ACS Style

Bauer, A.-S.; Tacker, M.; Uysal-Unalan, I.; Cruz, R.M.S.; Varzakas, T.; Krauter, V. Recyclability and Redesign Challenges in Multilayer Flexible Food Packaging—A Review. Foods 2021, 10, 2702. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10112702

AMA Style

Bauer A-S, Tacker M, Uysal-Unalan I, Cruz RMS, Varzakas T, Krauter V. Recyclability and Redesign Challenges in Multilayer Flexible Food Packaging—A Review. Foods. 2021; 10(11):2702. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10112702

Chicago/Turabian Style

Bauer, Anna-Sophia, Manfred Tacker, Ilke Uysal-Unalan, Rui M. S. Cruz, Theo Varzakas, and Victoria Krauter. 2021. "Recyclability and Redesign Challenges in Multilayer Flexible Food Packaging—A Review" Foods 10, no. 11: 2702. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10112702

APA Style

Bauer, A.-S., Tacker, M., Uysal-Unalan, I., Cruz, R. M. S., Varzakas, T., & Krauter, V. (2021). Recyclability and Redesign Challenges in Multilayer Flexible Food Packaging—A Review. Foods, 10(11), 2702. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10112702

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