VANA becomes part of the partnership for circular plastic economy
VANA is proud to be part of the large Danish-led "CRISP" collaboration, which will demonstrate that plastic from used food packaging can be sorted, cleaned, and recycled into new food quality packaging.
Every EU citizen generates 36 kilos of waste from plastic packaging each year – of which approximately 40% comes from food and beverages. While beverage bottles can be transformed into new bottles, other types of packaging waste are either burned or end up in low-quality products. CRISP will now demonstrate that plastic from, for example, ketchup bottles, yogurt cups, and ice cream tubs can be sorted, cleaned, and recycled into new food packaging – safely, efficiently, and on a large scale.
Read more about VANA's partnerships and the CRISP project
Chasing a breakthrough in the trash can
Most people don't think about it when they throw an empty ketchup bottle or a yogurt cup into the plastic container. But that type of plastic is among the cleanest and most valuable – and should be able to be used again and again. That simply does not happen today, where the plastic typically ends up in low-quality products or in incineration. This is partly due to legislation and technological possibilities setting the framework for the different types of plastics used in food packaging. The CRISP partnership will now develop and demonstrate groundbreaking technologies that can elevate food packaging into the circular economy.
It would be a breakthrough if we can show that the used food containers in rigid plastic from Danes can be collected, sorted, and recycled into new food containers. Now we have both the legislation and the partnership in place to make it a reality.
Business Manager, Technological Institute
It is the Danish Technological Institute that has gathered companies covering the entire value chain from waste sorting and plastic recycling to packaging and food production. They aim to jointly take advantage of the EU's green light to develop new technologies so that more types of food packaging can be recycled. This includes, for example, polyethylene and polypropylene plastics (PE and PP), which are used in plastic packaging for a wide range of food products such as ketchup, mayonnaise, feta cheese, yogurt, spices, ice cream, candy, and much more.
From cosmetic quality to food quality
The CRISP partnership builds on previous experiences, where it has been successful in recycling household-collected plastic waste into cosmetic quality packaging.
"For several years, we have been working purposefully to elevate the quality of recycled plastic. We have already proven that we can produce recycled plastic for cosmetic packaging from household plastics. Now we are taking the crucial next step towards food-approved recycling," explains CEO Franz Cuculiza from the plastic recycling company Aage Vestergaard Larsen.
To improve the quality of the recycled plastic, the partners in CRISP will further develop and demonstrate:
- advanced sorting technology with AI and cameras that can recognise food packaging among other plastic waste
- effective cleaning methods that can remove all unwanted substances from the plastic waste
- new packaging designs specifically adapted for recycled plastic and studies on what can make consumers accept recycled plastic in food packaging.
By the end of the project in 2028, the goal is to have established a production-ready supply chain with the capacity to handle a minimum of 10,000 tonnes of plastic annually.
Filling a gap for the food industry
For food producers, the CRISP partnership can potentially fill a critical gap, namely access to food-approved recycled plastic, which is in high demand in the industry. A circular economy for this type of plastic can future-proof producers like Arla, both regarding upcoming legislation, their own sustainability goals, and consumer demand for greener packaging.
"For Arla, it is crucial to find packaging solutions that both protect our products and reduce environmental impact. Today, we do not have access to recycled PE and PP in food quality, and this limits our opportunities to increase the share of recycled material in our packaging. The CRISP partnership can be a key to securing this," says Grane Maaløe, who is a Sustainable Packaging Lead Specialist at Arla.
Facts about CRISP
The purpose of CRISP (2025-2028) is to further develop and demonstrate technology for the recycling of food packaging in PE and PP - from household-collected plastic waste to new food contact approved packaging. CRISP stands for "Circular Recycling Innovation for Sustainable Packaging." The partnership is supported by the Environmental Technology Development and Demonstration Program (MUDP) under the Ministry of Environment and Gender Equality as a flagship project.
In the EU, approximately 83 million tonnes of packaging waste are generated each year, with plastic accounting for 19% – around 16 million tonnes of plastic packaging. A large portion of this plastic goes to the food and beverage sector, which makes up over half of the total packaging market in the EU.