--- title: "Flexloop Targets High-Purity Recycling for Flexible Packaging" id: "12132" type: "post" slug: "flexloop-targets-high-purity-recycling-for-flexible-packaging" published_at: "2026-09-18T13:00:51+00:00" modified_at: "2026-09-18T12:55:50+00:00" url: "https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2026/09/flexloop-targets-high-purity-recycling-for-flexible-packaging-012132/" markdown_url: "https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2026/09/flexloop-targets-high-purity-recycling-for-flexible-packaging-012132.md" excerpt: "Flexloop uses solvent extraction to remove inks, adhesives, odors, and contaminants from flexible films, enabling higher-quality recycled resin." taxonomy_category: - "Business" - "Circular Economy" - "Editor's Choice Technical Paper" - "Education & Training" - "Film" - "Flexible Packaging" - "Food Packaging" - "Industry" - "Materials" - "Packaging" - "Polyethylene" - "Polyolefins" - "Polypropylene" - "Process" - "Recycling" - "Resins" - "Strategy" - "Sustainability" - "Thermoplastics" - "Trending" taxonomy_post_tag: - "film-to-film recycling" - "flexible film recycling" - "flexible packaging recycling" - "Flexloop" - "high-purity recyclate" - "Lindner Recycling" - "Mechanical Recycling" - "packaging circularity" - "recycled polyethylene" - "solvent extraction recycling" - "solvent-based recycling" --- [Home](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/) » [News](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/news/) » [Process](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/c/process/) » [Recycling](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/c/process/recycling-process/) » Flexloop Targets High-Purity Recycling for Flexible Packaging # Flexloop Targets High-Purity Recycling for Flexible Packaging Flexible packaging presents persistent recycling challenges because inks, adhesives, odors, and other contaminants can limit recyclate quality. ### Flexloop uses solvent extraction to remove inks, adhesives, odors, and contaminants from flexible films, enabling higher-quality recycled resin. A new solvent-assisted mechanical recycling process removes inks, adhesives, odors, and other contaminants from flexible packaging. The resulting recyclate can meet demanding requirements for sensitive packaging applications. Procter & Gamble has partnered with Austrian recycling technology supplier Lindner to scale a new recycling technology for flexible packaging. **You can also read:** [The Complexity of Recyclate](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2024/06/the-complexity-of-recyclate-000761/) ## Solvent Extraction Upgrades Mechanical Recycling The process uses solvent-based extraction to remove contaminants such as odors, inks, adhesives, and other unwanted substances. This additional purification step aims to produce recyclate suitable for sensitive applications, including cosmetics, personal care, and hygiene packaging. Called Flexloop, the technology operates as a modular system that recyclers can integrate into existing Lindner washing and recycling lines. Rather than replacing mechanical recycling, Flexloop extends the process by adding solvent extraction before conventional washing. The solvent removes contaminants without breaking polymer chains or fundamentally altering the material’s chemical structure. This distinction allows the process to preserve more of the polymer’s original properties while improving recyclate purity. Moreover, flexible packaging remains particularly difficult to recycle into equivalent applications. Collection systems often combine different polymers, while inks, adhesives, labels, and other substances can migrate into recycled material during processing. As a result, recyclers frequently direct recovered films toward lower-value applications. Flexloop adds a solvent-based extraction stage before washing in mechanical recycling. The process produces higher-quality recycled resin for sensitive packaging applications. Image courtesy of Lindner Recycling. Chemical recycling can achieve higher levels of purification for some difficult waste streams. However, these technologies can require significant capital investment and energy. Flexloop targets a different position by combining solvent extraction with established mechanical recycling infrastructure. ## Reversing Contaminant Migration P&G researchers originally developed the technology by adapting a proven polypropylene dissolution process to flexible-film decontamination. They applied the approach to remove surface inks and other migratable contaminants, then extended the technology to LDPE and HDPE streams. Researchers analyzed material before and after treatment to evaluate the removal of inks, labels, adhesives, and other unwanted substances. According to Lindner, the process produced high-quality recycled resins while retaining strong material properties compared with conventional mechanical recycling. Flexloop describes this mechanism as reverse migration. Instead of contaminants migrating further into the polymer during recycling, the solvent extracts them from the material. The process also targets non-intentionally added substances, or NIAS, without intentionally breaking polymer chains or degrading the polymer structure. According to Lindner, challenge tests using benzophenone and methyl stearate demonstrated contaminant removal rates between 99.7% and 99.8%. This purification capability could expand the potential applications for recycled flexible polyethylene, particularly where odor, migration, and contamination have historically limited recycled-content use. ## Scaling Through Modularity P&G initially developed Flexloop and later granted Lindner exclusive global rights to scale and license the technology. > “We foresee a growing demand for high-quality recycled resin that is suitable for a wide range of flexible film applications,” said Lee Ellen Drechsler, Senior Vice President of Research & Development at P&G. She described Flexloop as an option for upcycling a broad range of plastic materials through mechanical solvent extraction. Both companies position the technology as a scalable way to upgrade mechanical recycling without requiring an entirely new processing plant. Its modular design allows recyclers to incorporate Flexloop into existing Lindner washing and recycling lines. As a result, operators can build on existing infrastructure while targeting higher-value recycled resin markets. The companies see opportunities particularly in sensitive packaging applications for cosmetics, personal care, and hygiene products. Higher-purity recyclate could also give recycling companies access to applications that traditionally depend more heavily on virgin resin. Flexloop demonstrated high contaminant-removal efficiency in migration challenge tests, supporting the production of higher-purity recycled resin. Image courtesy of Lindner Recycling. ## Targeting Film-to-Film Circularity Gian De Belder, Technical Director of Packaging Sustainability at P&G, sees particular potential in packaging and agricultural films. > “Flexloop is particularly important for a wide range of feedstocks, specifically packaging and agricultural films,” De Belder said. According to De Belder, the technology could bring the industry closer to film-to-film circularity. For example, recyclers could potentially produce higher-quality recycled polyethylene grades for a new generation of sensitive flexible packaging. The technology also targets mechanical recyclers that want to increase resin quality without replacing their entire processing infrastructure. > “The beauty of the technology is that target users are the mechanical recyclers who have an interest in upgrading the quality of their recycled resin,” De Belder said. For flexible packaging, that distinction could prove important. Improving recyclate quality within existing mechanical recycling systems may create a more accessible route toward higher-value applications. Flexloop therefore addresses two persistent challenges simultaneously: removing contaminants that restrict recyclate use and creating a pathway to upgrade existing recycling infrastructure. If the process performs consistently at commercial scale, solvent-assisted mechanical recycling could help move flexible films beyond downcycling and closer to true closed-loop applications. By **[Laura Florez](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/author/lauraf/)** | September 18, 2026 ##### [Laura Florez](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/author/lauraf/) [+ postsBio ⮌](#) Laura Florez is a mechanical engineer and holds a PhD in plastics processing. She has worked as an editor in the plastics industry for over 25 years and has experience in research, training, and consulting. Her main fields of expertise are injection molding and plastics recycling. - Laura Florez [Digital Process Control Supports Stable Molding of PCR and PIR](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2026/08/digital-process-control-supports-stable-molding-of-pcr-and-pir-011843/) - Laura Florez [Recovering High-Purity PC/ABS from End-of-Life Vehicles](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2026/07/recovering-high-purity-pc-abs-from-end-of-life-vehicles-011820/) - Laura Florez [BASF and ETH Zurich Advance Mixed Plastic Waste Gasification](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2026/07/basf-and-eth-zurich-advance-mixed-plastic-waste-gasification-011813/) - Laura Florez [3 Ways to Reduce Cycle Time in Injection Molding](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2026/07/3-ways-to-reduce-cycle-time-in-injection-molding-011825/) ### Other posts you could read [August 27, 2026Sustainable Tire Materials Support Pirelli’s ESG Performance](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2026/08/sustainable-tire-materials-support-pirellis-esg-performance-011911/) [September 17, 2026Why Plastic Additives Matter for Performance and Circularity](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2026/09/why-plastic-additives-matter-for-performance-and-circularity-012138/) [September 1, 2026Just-in-Time Plastics Processing Faces New Supply Chain Limits](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2026/09/just-in-time-plastics-processing-faces-new-supply-chain-limits-011924/) [September 9, 2026Ultrasonic Plasticization Targets the Limits of Micro-Molding](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2026/09/ultrasonic-plasticization-targets-the-limits-of-micro-molding-012041/) [September 4, 2026Thermoplastic Polyurethane Foams for Wearable Electronics](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2026/09/thermoplastic-polyurethane-foams-for-wearable-electronics-012011/) [September 11, 2026What Early Plastics Recovery Efforts Got Right and Wrong](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2026/09/what-early-plastics-recovery-efforts-got-right-and-wrong-012060/) [August 24, 2026Scaling Plastics Recycling Without Overcommitting Capital](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2026/08/scaling-plastics-recycling-without-overcommitting-capital-011878/) [September 15, 2026How PCR, PFAS Rules and EPR Are Reshaping Healthcare Foams](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2026/09/how-pcr-pfas-rules-and-epr-are-reshaping-healthcare-foams-012113/) ## Share Your Thoughts [Cancel reply](/2026/09/flexloop-targets-high-purity-recycling-for-flexible-packaging-012132/#respond) - [https://twitter.com/share?url=https://www.plasticsengineering.org/?p=12132&text=Flexloop+Targets+High-Purity+Recycling+for+Flexible+Packaging&via=Plastics_Mag](https://twitter.com/share?url=https://www.plasticsengineering.org/?p=12132&text=Flexloop+Targets+High-Purity+Recycling+for+Flexible+Packaging&via=Plastics_Mag) - [https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://www.plasticsengineering.org/?p=12132&t=Flexloop+Targets+High-Purity+Recycling+for+Flexible+Packaging](https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://www.plasticsengineering.org/?p=12132&t=Flexloop+Targets+High-Purity+Recycling+for+Flexible+Packaging) - [https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://www.plasticsengineering.org/?p=12132&title=Flexloop%20Targets%20High-Purity%20Recycling%20for%20Flexible%20Packaging&summary=Flexloop+uses+solvent+extraction+to+remove+inks%2C+adhesives%2C+odors%2C+and+contaminants+from+flexible+films%2C+enabling+higher-quality+recycled+resin.&source=Plastics+Engineering](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://www.plasticsengineering.org/?p=12132&title=Flexloop%20Targets%20High-Purity%20Recycling%20for%20Flexible%20Packaging&summary=Flexloop+uses+solvent+extraction+to+remove+inks%2C+adhesives%2C+odors%2C+and+contaminants+from+flexible+films%2C+enabling+higher-quality+recycled+resin.&source=Plastics+Engineering) - [https://www.reddit.com/submit?url=https://www.plasticsengineering.org/?p=12132&title=Flexloop+Targets+High-Purity+Recycling+for+Flexible+Packaging](https://www.reddit.com/submit?url=https://www.plasticsengineering.org/?p=12132&title=Flexloop+Targets+High-Purity+Recycling+for+Flexible+Packaging) - [/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#4b74383e29212e283f761b272a383f2228386b0e252c22252e2e3922252c6b666b0d272e332724243b6b1f2a392c2e3f386b03222c23661b3e39223f326b192e2832282722252c6b2d24396b0d272e332229272e6b1b2a28202a2c22252c6d29242f3276233f3f3b387164643c3c3c653b272a383f2228382e252c22252e2e3922252c6524392c64743b767a797a7879](/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#4b74383e29212e283f761b272a383f2228386b0e252c22252e2e3922252c6b666b0d272e332724243b6b1f2a392c2e3f386b03222c23661b3e39223f326b192e2832282722252c6b2d24396b0d272e332229272e6b1b2a28202a2c22252c6d29242f3276233f3f3b387164643c3c3c653b272a383f2228382e252c22252e2e3922252c6524392c64743b767a797a7879) - [#comments](#comments)