TOPAS Advanced Polymers has announced that its TOPAS cyclic olefin copolymer (COC) products have earned certification as recyclable materials by the European independent testing lab, Institut cyclos-HTP, based in Aachen, Germany.
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TOPAS materials are the first cyclic olefin resins in the industry to be deemed recyclable with PE and PP for film and injection moulding uses.
Wilfried Hatke, sales and marketing manager, EMEA, for TOPAS Advanced Polymers, said: “This designation is a major development for brand owners, manufacturers, and processors who seek recycled packaging solutions to meet today’s sustainability needs. COC is a key enabler and opens many opportunities in shrink labels for decoration and other applications such as polyolefin-based high-barrier films and recyclable pouches.”
The findings by Institut cyclos-HTP conclude that COC can be considered as valuable material in post-consumer LDPE, mixed polyolefin, and polypropylene recycling streams. Consequently, PE and PP formulations modified with COC can be considered fully recyclable in their respective waste streams.
Moreover, in view of the fact that current multilayer packaging usually contains PET, PA, or other polymers required for a functional package, COC, with its intrinsic stiffness and barrier properties, can help to develop attractive, functional, and fully recyclable polyolefin solutions.