Sustainable plastic for biscuit packaging

UNSW researchers have developed a low-energy technique to recycle plastic more often into new packaging, which could soon be used for Tim Tams.

The researchers said the new method — which can be used on a wide range of common materials such as bags, bottles made from polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene and PET — has the potential to significantly reduce the degradation of the plastic (polymers) during recycling. Therefore, it could be possible to recycle the plastic a higher number of times than using existing recycling processes.

PET is one of the world’s most commonly used plastics with approximately 10% of all plastics being made from PET, with around a third of that used in global food and beverage packaging.

The primary challenge is the level of contamination in such plastic, making it harder to recycle without being thoroughly cleaned.

The new UNSW method is designed so that it doesn’t need extensive cleaning. It also has the potential to separate the polymer from various additives such as dyes so it is capable of producing recycled colourless PET from coloured waste sources at low energy.

New method developed by researchers at UNSW Sydney can produce recycled colourless PET (left) from coloured waste sources (middle and right) at low energy. Image credit: Minna Sophia Manu

Team leads Professor Per Zetterlund and Dr Vipul Agarwal, from the School of Chemical Engineering, are working in collaboration with ‘impact investment’ firm FP Paradigm to further develop and commercialise the technology specifically pertaining to PET (polyethylene terephthalate) recycling. The relevant aspects of the UNSW patent (PET in food and beverage applications) have been licensed to FP Paradigm.

Paco Industries, the R&D subcontractor for FP Paradigm, has recently announced a deal with the Arnott’s Group — makers of Tim Tams and Shapes — to explore the use of this new technology as a more sustainable PET alternative across its range of products.

Arnott’s is particularly keen on the fact that the process can isolate PET from other types of waste plastics and has the potential to turn contaminated PET waste back into food-grade PET for the food and beverage industry.

Arnott’s Group Chief Transformation Officer Simon Lowden said: “This agreement reflects our commitment as a business to go beyond our sustainable commitments and find new technologies — so that the Arnott’s Group can continue to create delicious moments, not just for our consumers, but for our value chain and planet as well.”

In addition to the deal with Arnott’s, Paco has also facilitated an agreement with Sydney-based, sustainably focused coffee company Pablo & Rusty’s to assist with the commercialisation of the UNSW-developed recycled PET.

Top image caption from left-to-right: Steven Commerford (Head of Commercial, Paco Industries), Quang Ly (Industry & Innovation Manager UNSW), Dr Vipul Agarwal (UNSW), Professor Per Zetterlund (UNSW), Professor Julien Epps (Dean of Engineering, UNSW), Abdullah Ramay (CEO, Pablo & Rusty’s Coffee), Alberto Peixeiro (R&D Director, Packaging Development ANZ at The Arnott's Group), Hamish Manton (Project Manager, FP Paradigm). Image credit: Minna Sophia Manu.