Kraft-Heinz, Hansin and Tesseraux are among the companies participating in a new cross-industry initiative to develop a recycling system for aseptic bags.
From 1 January 2030, packaging placed on the EU market must comply with recyclability requirements under the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR).
However, industrial aseptic bags are currently considered unrecyclable under the PPWR’s design-for-recycling criteria for flexible PE packaging, warned the Aseptic Bag Manufacturers Association (ABMA), which launched the new scheme.
ABMA cautioned that replacing multi-material structures remains technically unfeasible due to demanding food safety, packaging strength, and shelf-life requirements.
Collection and recycling scheme
The three-year initiative aims to qualify technologies for recycling industrial aseptic bags, develop a collection and recycling scheme compliant with national Extended Producer Responsibility rules, prepare design-for-recycling guidelines to be included in the PPWR and evaluate recyclates’ suitability for food-contact applications.
It will work with recyclers and national producer responsibility organisations to develop the technical and operational framework required for implementation across Europe.
“The situation is critical,” declared Guido Aufdemkamp, executive director of ABMA.
“If industrial aseptic bags are not recognised as recyclable by 2030, they may no longer be placed on the EU market. This would put the supply of essential tomato and fruit ingredients at risk and could severely disrupt these food products in Europe.
Food disruption fears
“It is essential that a dedicated collection and recycling system is established in time to ensure that these bags are recyclable and recycled in practice.”
Industrial aseptic bags, which usually range from 220 litres to 1,600l, are widely used to transport and store processed tomatoes, fruit preparations and juices.
Their high-barrier structures protect product quality, enable shelf-lives of up to 24 months and support the management of seasonal harvests and global supply chains.
Typical bags combine PE with barrier materials such as metallised PET or aluminium foil and polyamide.
ABMA represents approximately 90 per cent of the global industrial aseptic bag market and is a market group of Flexible Packaging Europe.
