Most of our soft plastic is still not recycled - 16 stakeholders are now going to change that.

Every year, large amounts of soft plastic packaging for products ranging from coffee and ground meat to chips and candy are burned or downcycled instead of being recycled into new packaging. Less than 15% of soft plastic packaging is actually recycled today, even though it accounts for nearly half of all plastic packaging on the European market. The new project 'InFACT' aims to change that. InFACT is led by the Danish Technological Institute and brings together 16 international partners covering the entire value chain from collection, sorting, and recycling to packaging and food companies. Together, they will demonstrate how household-collected soft plastic packaging can be transformed into new packaging within a connected value chain. "We have gathered partners that cover the entire chain from household waste bins to supermarket shelves. This is necessary to build a circular infrastructure that everyone can see themselves in, and that is coherent technologically, environmentally, and economically," says Per Sigaard Christensen, Business Manager at the Danish Technological Institute, in a press release. Circular solutions can strengthen Europe's resilience Modern soft food packaging is technically advanced and typically consists of multiple plastic layers, barrier films, printing inks, adhesives, and in some cases, metallized surfaces. This makes the material difficult to recycle through conventional mechanical melting. Therefore, InFACT will combine several complementary recycling technologies to address the challenge. The project comes at a highly relevant time. The EU Packaging Regulation (PPWR), which came into force in February 2025, tightens requirements for recyclable packaging and documented recycled content by 2030. InFACT aims to help industry meet these requirements while also strengthening its resilience. "If we can establish a commercially sustainable infrastructure for flexible plastic packaging, we can support the implementation of EU requirements and enhance the robustness of the European industry. InFACT can help reduce Europe's dependence on imported fossil oil and contribute to a more self-sufficient and circular plastic economy," adds Per Sigaard Christensen. Critical for the food industry For the food industry, InFACT is about both the environment and maintaining extremely high standards for food safety and shelf life. "For a food company, packaging is business-critical. It must protect the products, meet high food safety standards, and also be documented as part of a more circular economy. This is not something one company can solve alone. That’s why InFACT is important: the project brings the entire value chain together to develop the infrastructure that the food industry will need," says Birgitte Krenk, Nordic Head of Operations at Nestlé. The project is led by the Danish Technological Institute and has a total budget of DKK 24 million. It is supported by the Innovation Fund through the TRACE program.