Pregis, a leading protective packaging materials and automated systems manufacturer, has joined Circular Economy Flexible Packaging (CEFLEX), a European consortium of companies and associations representing the entire flexible packaging value chain.

CEFLEX has established a roadmap and targets to achieve a circular economy for flexible packaging for the years 2020 to 2025, and increase recycling efforts across the EU. Robust actions also include guidelines on packaging design, driving collection and sorting of flexible packaging materials, as well as the identification of sustainable end markets for their downstream use. The initiatives also include a business case component which calls for recycled flexible packaging to be returned to the economy in competitive pricing and quantities.

“For more than a decade, Pregis has manufactured protective packaging materials that minimize the impact on the environment. A critical component of improving recycling and reuse metrics is to have a system in place that will help direct manufacturing best practices, increase recycled content in our film structures, promote ways to increase quantities collected and help identify downstream uses for that recycled material.

In order to accomplish that, all of the participants in the value stream have to be included. CEFLEX is spearheading those efforts for the European flexible packaging value chain and we are happy to be part of helping establish a solution,” said Clint Smith, director of sustainable packaging, Pregis.

Pregis also recently announced that it had joined the Alliance to End Plastic Waste which has a $1.5 billion investment goal over the next five years to help end plastic waste in the environment. Pregis has also partnered with How2Recycle® to provide consumer-friendly recycling instructions printed onto film-based products to increase adoption. Pregis also teaches customers how to prevent damage through the shipping and fulfillment cycles to avoid unnecessary environmental burdens.

“Joining CEFLEX represents another example of the company’s efforts to support a circular economy by creating the highest-quality recyclable products, while maximizing recycled content and reducing raw material dependence,” Smith said.