Understanding the complexity of deinking plastic waste: An assessment of the efficiency of different treatments to remove ink resins from printed plastic film.

Plastic packaging is usually heavily printed with inks to provide functional benefits. However, the presence of inks strongly impedes the closed-loop recycling of plastic films. Various media have already been studied for the deinking of plastic films, but there is little scientific insight into the effectiveness of different deinking techniques. Therefore, this study aims to obtain a systematic understanding by measuring the liquefaction and maximum solubility of 14 chemically different polymer resins in seven different media typically used in plastic deinking, such as acetone, ethyl acetate, sodium hydroxide solution, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide solution, formic acid, sulfuric acid, and N,N-dimethylcyclohexylamine. Our findings show that acid-based media are able to remove a broader range of polymer resins. Organic solvents are particularly effective against acrylics and related polymer resins. The deinking efficiency tests on pure resins are also confirmed by deinking four printed plastic films containing different classes of polymer resins. A basic cost and environmental impact analysis is given to evaluate scale-up potential of the deinking medium.

Approaches in Sustainable, Biobased Multilayer Packaging Solutions.

The depletion of fossil resources and the growing demand for plastic waste reduction has put industries and academic researchers under pressure to develop increasingly sustainable packaging solutions that are both functional and circularly designed. In this review, we provide an overview of the fundamentals and recent advances in biobased packaging materials, including new materials and techniques for their modification as well as their end-of-life scenarios. We also discuss the composition and modification of biobased films and multilayer structures, with particular attention to readily available drop-in solutions, as well as coating techniques. Moreover, we discuss end-of-life factors, including sorting systems, detection methods, composting options, and recycling and upcycling possibilities. Finally, regulatory aspects are pointed out for each application scenario and end-of-life option. Moreover, we discuss the human factor in terms of consumer perception and acceptance of upcycling.