On Tuesday 21 April, Jagen and colleagues welcomed thirteen members of the Midlands Packaging Society to the Amcor Flexible Plastics manufacturing and recycling facility in Heanor, Derbyshire.
Recycling Processes and Product Applications
The visit provided members with a detailed insight into Amcor’s flexible plastics operations, with a particular focus on the recovery, reprocessing, and conversion of post‑industrial (PIR) and post‑consumer recycled (PCR) plastic films into a variety of products.
The tour followed the material flow from incoming waste film streams through mechanical recycling and onward into finished products. Delegates observed how reclaimed plastic films are processed and converted into high recycled‑content applications, including printed refuse sack rolls supplied to local authorities and Damp Proof Course (DPC) films for construction markets.
Recycled Content Certification and Material Control
Members were introduced to Amcor’s use of RecyClass‑certified recycled resin under the “Sustain” grade, which supports verified recycled content, material consistency, and supply chain transparency. The application of this resin across a range of Amcor products was discussed, including brands such as Visqueen and Plaswood.
A visit to the on‑site analytical laboratories highlighted the testing and quality assurance systems in place to support batch‑level traceability. Delegates gained insight into attribute and performance testing methods used to ensure material consistency, process control, and compliance—key considerations for recycled materials used in regulated and specification‑led markets.
Advanced Recycling: Pyrolysis Technology
A technical highlight of the visit was the presentation of the Greenback Pyrolysing Advanced Recycling Centre, currently in the commissioning phase. The system uses pyrolysis to process post‑consumer flexible films that are not suitable for mechanical recycling, converting them into oil via a compact, modular “mini‑cracking” plant.
Discussions focused on the technical capability of the system, its relatively small footprint, moderate capital investment, and its potential role in recovering value from complex flexible packaging waste streams as a complementary technology to mechanical recycling.
Discussion and Acknowledgements
The visit concluded with a technical discussion session, allowing members to exchange views on recycled content targets, polymer performance, certification frameworks, and the evolving role of advanced recycling technologies within the packaging value chain.
The Midlands Packaging Society would like to thank the Amcor team for their openness, technical insight, and engaging discussions, and for providing members with a valuable and practical perspective on flexible plastics recycling and product manufacture.