A coalition of 16 international partners has launched a major new initiative to transform household soft plastic waste into new packaging — including food‑grade applications.
The project, known as InFACT, aims to tackle one of Europe’s most persistent packaging challenges: the extremely low recycling rate of flexible plastics, which currently sits below 15%, despite the material accounting for nearly half of all plastic packaging placed on the market.
The consortium brings together organisations spanning the entire value chain, from waste collection and sorting to advanced recycling, packaging production and food companies.
Partners include Nestlé, Interzero, TotalEnergies, Hilton Foods, Cloetta, BKI Foods, the City of Copenhagen, Fraunhofer IVV, Topsoe, Coveris, Dapofa, the University of Southern Denmark, VANA and the Danish Technological Institute, which is leading the project.
Running from 2026 to 2028 and funded by Innovation Fund Denmark through the TRACE programme, InFACT aims to demonstrate a commercially viable circular infrastructure capable of turning household‑collected soft plastics — such as coffee bags, meat films, crisp packets and confectionery wrappers — into new packaging materials suitable for use across retail and food sectors.
A full value chain approach
The project’s strength lies in its structure: it connects every stage of the packaging lifecycle, from bin to supermarket shelf. This integrated model is essential because flexible plastics are notoriously difficult to recycle. Modern food packaging often contains multiple polymer layers, barrier films, inks, adhesives and metallised surfaces, making it “almost impossible” to recycle through conventional mechanical remelting.
InFACT will combine complementary recycling technologies to overcome these technical barriers while also addressing the fragmented value chain and lack of viable business models that have historically prevented progress.
A Timely Response to EU Packaging Rules
The initiative launches at a pivotal moment. The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which came into force in February 2025, requires all packaging to be recyclable by 2030 and mandates documented recycled content. InFACT is designed to help industry translate these requirements into practical, scalable solutions.
Per Sigaard Christensen of the Danish Technological Institute said the project could strengthen Europe’s industrial resilience: “If we can establish a commercially viable infrastructure for flexible plastic packaging, we can both support the implementation of EU requirements and strengthen the resilience of European industry.”
For packaging producers, food manufacturers and retailers, InFACT represents:
- Access to new high‑quality recycled materials, including food‑grade options
- A more stable supply chain, less dependent on virgin fossil‑based plastics
- A route to compliance with tightening EU recyclability and recycled‑content rules
- A unified model that reduces fragmentation and accelerates circularity
If successful, the project could mark a turning point for flexible plastics — shifting them from one of Europe’s most problematic waste streams to a valuable circular resource.
