The recycling of plastic packaging is undergoing a key transformation with the arrival of the tray-to-tray model, a system that seeks to directly reuse PET trays to manufacture new ones. Unlike the well-known “bottle-to-bottle” process, this practice had been little explored until a few years ago, leading to a significant loss of material.
In the European Union, nearly one million tons of PET trays enter the market each year, but only 30% is collected. This means that most of them end up in landfills or incinerators, resulting in a loss of a valuable resource and increasing the environmental impact.
The landscape began to change thanks to regulations such as the Single-Use Plastics Directive (SUPD) and the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (PPWR), which extend circularity requirements beyond bottles. These policies have driven manufacturers and recyclers to develop new solutions to efficiently utilize trays.
The goal is ambitious: to reduce dependence on virgin plastic and create a strong market for tray-to-tray recycling, making it a strategic link within the circular economy.
Challenges for effective recycling:
One of the main challenges is the complexity of the designs of these trays, which often have multiple layers, inks, and adhesives. This complicates the necessary sorting and decontamination processes to obtain material suitable for food use.
Unlike bottles, trays lack standardized collection systems. They often end up mixed with other plastics, limiting the availability of quality raw materials. The lack of homogeneity increases costs and reduces the efficiency of recycling processes.
In addition to this, contamination with food residues or foreign materials makes automated separation even more difficult. All these factors create a bottleneck for achieving massive and safe recycling in the food sector.
However, technological advances are making a difference. Sensor-based sorting systems, such as those distinguishing between single-layer and multi-layer PET, allow for more precise recovery of truly useful material. This innovation is key to closing the loop.
Innovations changing the market:
The recycling industry has introduced equipment capable of detecting contaminants at a microscopic level, separating PET flakes based on their transparency, color, and aging. Technologies like INNOSORT™ FLAKE or AUTOSORT™ FLAKE enable achieving purities exceeding 99%, thus meeting strict standards for food contact packaging.
Some plants have also started operating dual sorting lines that differentiate between transparent and colored PET. This expands the range of applications for recycled material, including microwave-safe trays or more durable packaging.
The next step is to combine post-consumer and post-industrial waste. The former is more variable and challenging to process, while the latter, originating from factory discards, is usually cleaner and more homogeneous. Together, they can provide a stable flow for the industry.
Step-by-step: How tray-to-tray recycling works:
1. Collection: Consumers discard trays in recycling systems or specific containers.
2. Initial sorting: The material is separated from other plastics using advanced sensors.
3. Crushing: Trays are turned into PET flakes to facilitate processing.
4. Cleaning and decontamination: Food residues, adhesives, and inks are removed.
5. Flakes sorting: Specialized equipment separates by color, transparency, and purity.
6. Melting and reprocessing: The clean material is turned into recycled PET sheets.
7. Manufacturing new trays: These sheets return to the market in the form of safe food containers.
The role of PET in sustainability:
PET plastic, widely used in bottles and trays, is one of the materials with the greatest potential to integrate into circular economy systems. Its strength, lightness, and recyclability make it a strategic ally compared to other single-use plastics.
With the tray-to-tray model, a market opens that can reduce pressure on bottle recycling, avoiding competition for the same raw material between the two sectors. This diversifies the use of PET and increases the overall system efficiency.
At the same time, industries that rely heavily on food-grade plastics, such as baking and food service, continue to use products like bakery trays, making effective recycling solutions even more important for reducing overall environmental impact.
The success of this transition will depend on three factors: standardization of designs to facilitate recycling, investment in specific collection infrastructures, and regulatory approval for use in food packaging.
In the coming years, tray-to-tray recycling could evolve from an experiment to becoming a cornerstone of circularity, offering a real alternative to reduce waste, save energy, and move towards a future without disposable plastics.
