PureCycle, Toppan advance recycled-content flexible packaging for snack brands

USA – PureCycle Technologies and Toppan have launched a joint initiative to accelerate the use of recycled polypropylene (rPP) in flexible films and thermoformed packaging, marking a notable step forward for brand owners seeking food-contact compliant circular solutions.

The collaboration has delivered a snack bar wrapper incorporating more than 30% recycled content, produced with PureCycle’s PureFive resin.

According to the partners, the structure meets stringent requirements for print quality, seal integrity and barrier performance, while helping brands reduce reliance on virgin fossil-based plastics.

The development responds to growing pressure on FMCG companies to integrate post-consumer recycled (PCR) materials without compromising machinability or shelf appeal, two factors that have historically limited the uptake of rPP in high-performance snack packaging.

Pete Dias, Senior Director of Market, Application and Product Development at PureCycle, said the project demonstrates how cross-value-chain collaboration can address technical and regulatory hurdles.

“TOPPAN’s expertise in both flexible and thermoformed packaging, combined with our high-quality recycled resin, enables brand owners to meet sustainability commitments without compromising on quality, safety or performance,” he noted.

PureCycle’s proprietary dissolution recycling technology converts post-consumer polypropylene into near-virgin-quality resin suitable for food-contact applications.

The company says the material integrates into existing film extrusion and thermoforming lines, reducing the need for capital-intensive retrofits.

For Toppan Packaging Americas, which operates 22 sites across North America, Latin America and Europe under brands including Alloyd, EnviroFlex, Highland Packaging Solutions and TEQ, the partnership aligns with its strategy to expand circular material portfolios for multinational snack and food brands.

Astrid Torres, Senior Sustainability Manager at Toppan Packaging Americas, described the wrapper as proof that high-impact graphics and meaningful recycled content can coexist in demanding snack applications.

The companies plan to extend the collaboration to thermoformed formats such as snack cups and microwaveable containers, segments where polypropylene remains a material of choice due to heat resistance and durability.

The announcement builds on PureCycle’s broader commercialization push. In December 2025, the company revealed that its recycled polypropylene was being used in licensed souvenir cinema cups through a partnership between Golden Link North America and Churchill Container, highlighting expanding adoption beyond flexible packaging.

As regulatory frameworks in the US and Europe tighten around recycled content mandates and extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes, industry observers say initiatives like the PureCycle–Toppan alliance could help unlock scalable, food-grade rPP solutions for mainstream snack and convenience food markets.

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