The European PRESERVE project has just received an award recognizing a major milestone in the circular economy and innovation in the flexible packaging industry. This is a great achievement for an ambitious project, to which Bostik's R&D teams have actively contributed by developing innovative adhesive solutions.
A major industrial challenge: recycling packaging that is currently burned
Flexible packaging, such as food bags, is made up of several layers of materials (plastics, metallized films, paper, etc.) assembled using laminating adhesives. Although invisible to consumers, these adhesives play a key role: they make the materials incompatible with each other and prevent them from being recycled. As a result, most of this packaging currently ends up being landfilled.
In response to this situation, the PRESERVE project was launched with a clear objective: to design recyclable multilayer packaging without compromising on performance.
The aim was to demonstrate the industrial viability of the solution beyond a simple academic context. The award given to the PRESERVE project recognizes an innovative, comprehensive, and collaborative approach.
PRESERVE innovation: facilitating delamination after use
The approach developed in PRESERVE is based on an innovative and complementary concept:
- Applying a thin layer of protein to the plastic film,
- Developing partially bio-based laminating adhesives capable of effectively adhering to this protein,
- Then, at the end of its life, dissolving this protein layer in an alkaline bath.
This process allows the different materials to be separated after grinding and washing, making it possible to recycle them individually (polyolefins, polyester, paper, etc.).
The PRESERVE project shows that it is possible to redesign laminating adhesives to facilitate the recycling of flexible packaging without compromising their performance. It is a concrete approach, developed collectively, which opens up real industrial prospects.
The contribution of Bostik teams
In this project, Bostik teams played a key role in developing innovative adhesives used to bond the different layers of packaging (lamination adhesives), incorporating a bio-based component and perfectly compatible with the protein layer.
This demanding R&D work was carried out in close collaboration with the project partners in order to reconcile adhesive performance, recyclability, and industrial constraints.
Collective pride and promising perspectives
Beyond this recognition, PRESERVE fully illustrates the teams' ability to imagine, develop, and test sustainable solutions with a strong impact, in line with market expectations and environmental commitments.
The project represents a major step forward for the circular economy, driven by collaboration and innovation, and a source of pride for all the teams involved.