Nextek, Coveris open COtooCLEAN food-grade recycling plant in Lincolnshire using supercritical CO₂ extraction

UK – Nextek and Coveris have launched the COtooCLEAN demonstration plant at Coveris’ ReCover site in Lincolnshire, UK, using supercritical CO₂ extraction to convert post-consumer polyolefin film waste into high-quality recycled resin suitable for food-grade applications.

The plant showcases a purification technology designed to address the issue of embedded contaminants in plastic films. 

Using supercritical CO₂ extraction, the process penetrates deep into the polymer structure to remove oils, odours, and legacy substances that conventional mechanical recycling cannot fully eliminate. 

The demonstration plant is supported by the Alliance to End Plastic Waste.

Solving the Flexible Film Recycling Challenge

Flexible films, stand-up pouches, flow wraps, and laminated bags, are widely used for food packaging but are notoriously difficult to recycle. 

Their thin, multi-layer structures trap food residues, adhesives, and printing inks that survive standard washing and shredding. 

The resulting recyclate is typically downcycled into non-food applications such as bin liners or construction materials. 

COtooCLEAN uses supercritical CO₂, carbon dioxide at a temperature and pressure where it behaves as both a liquid and a gas, to penetrate the plastic matrix and extract contaminants at a molecular level.

Bernhard Mumelter, group innovation manager at Coveris Group, explained that this project marks the next step in advancing Coveris’ No Waste vision, with ReCover playing a central role in keeping plastics circular. 

He noted that with COtooCLEAN now fully operational, the company is taking an important step in preparing to solve the food-grade recycling challenge for flexible films. 

Together with advanced de-inking technologies, this innovation strengthens mechanical recycling capabilities and opens the next phase of solutions for more demanding applications.

A Path to Wider Deployment

Jacob Duer, president and chief executive of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, added that COtooCLEAN has the potential to improve both the rate and quality of flexible plastics recycling. 

He stated that this demonstration plant is an important step in validating the technology and supporting its path to wider deployment. 

It also reflects the Alliance’s commitment to advancing practical, scalable solutions. By accelerating innovation and working with partners across the value chain, the Alliance is working to turn progress into real systems change.

When Flexible Films Become Food-Grade Again

A flexible film pouch that held ready-to-eat salad or grated cheese is among the hardest packaging to recycle. COtooCLEAN’s supercritical CO₂ process strips away the food residue, odours, and adhesives that standard recycling leaves behind. 

If the demonstration plant proves scalable, the 1.46 million tonnes of EU plastic waste exported last year could start looking less like a disposal problem and more like a feedstock opportunity.

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