Nestlé, Interzero, 16 partners target 15% EU flexible plastic recycling rate with InFACT project

DENMARK – Nestlé, Interzero, TotalEnergies and 13 other international partners have joined forces for the InFACT project, aiming to convert household flexible plastic waste, including coffee bags, crisp packets and confectionery wrappers, into new food-grade packaging to address the EU’s sub-15 percent recycling rate for this packaging category.

The InFACT project, led by the Danish Technological Institute, brings together 16 partners covering the entire value chain from collection and sorting to recycling, packaging production and food companies. 

The initiative addresses the challenge of flexible plastic packaging, which accounts for nearly half of all plastic packaging placed on the European market yet sees less than 15 percent recycled, according to the European Environment Agency. 

Funded by Innovation Fund Denmark through the Trace programme, the project is expected to run from 2026 to 2028, with the aim of establishing a commercially viable infrastructure for flexible plastic packaging that supports EU regulatory requirements and strengthens European industrial resilience. 

How Multi-Layer, Metallised and Printed Packaging Challenges Are Overcome

Modern flexible food packaging presents significant recycling challenges due to its multi-layer polymer structures, printing inks, adhesives and metallised surfaces, which can make the material “almost impossible” to recycle through conventional mechanical re-melting. 

InFACT combines several complementary recycling technologies to overcome these barriers while also addressing the fragmented value chain and lack of viable business models by connecting technologies, documentation and market demand across the full packaging chain. 

Per Sigaard Christensen, business manager at the Danish Technological Institute, stated that if the project could establish a commercially viable infrastructure for flexible plastic packaging, it could both support the implementation of EU requirements and strengthen the resilience of European industry, reducing Europe’s dependence on imported fossil oil and building a more self-sufficient circular plastics economy.

What PPWR Compliance and Recycled Content Targets Mean for Flexible Packaging

The project aligns with tightening EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation requirements for recyclability and recycled content, which are driving significant innovation across the packaging sector. 

In March 2026, the EU-funded BioSupPack project concluded after five years, demonstrating that brewery waste can be transformed into high-performance bioplastics (PHA and PHB) for sustainable packaging. 

Similarly, TBM has unveiled CirculeX, a material made from post-consumer recycled plastics that reportedly reduces CO2 emissions by up to 61 percent while achieving a 126 percent increase in bending strength and a 76 percent increase in impact strength compared with conventional post-consumer recyclate.

Subscribe to our email newsletters that provide busy executives like you with the latest news insights and trends from Africa and the World. SUBSCRIBE HERE