The AeroFlexx liquid package is one of the first packages to receive the “Made for Recycling” recognition for multiple countries across Europe

AeroFlexx has been awarded the “Made for Recycling” seal from Interseroh for the AeroFlexx liquid package, a flexible construct which contains an air frame that provides rigid qualities throughout the entire package lifecycle. AeroFlexx is one of the first packages to receive the “Made for Recycling” designation for the multiple countries across Europe that offer recycling for rigid polyethylene packaging, meaning consumers have the convenience of recycling AeroFlexx packages just like other widely recycled polyethylene (PE) bottles.

As a recycling specialist, Interseroh, part of the Alba group, is involved in all stages of the packaging cycle, from licensing and collection to sorting and processing plastics. The “Made for Recycling” designation was established by Interseroh in partnership with the German bifa environmental institute, who came up with a set of criteria for recycling with a maximum of 20 possible points. Fraunhofer IVV affirmed the assessment method. Only products achieving 18 points or higher achieve the “Made for Recycling” title. AeroFlexx packaging received a 19 out of 20 rating from Interseroh.

Achieving recyclability recognition through Interseroh is just the first of many steps AeroFlexx is taking to ensure AeroFlexx packages are compatible with the recycling systems in both Europe and the Americas. And while recyclability is important to ensure customers and brands can achieve their circularity goals, that is not the only environmental attribute the AeroFlexx liquid package affords. The liquid package is significantly lighter than its competitors, reducing the amount of plastic used by at least 50% with the ability to incorporate recycled content for further reduction in virgin plastic use. These environmental benefits can afford brands the ability to not just close the loop and meet their circularity goals, but also accelerate progress toward greenhouse gas reduction and also reduce waste to landfills.

“AeroFlexx is honored to be recognized as ‘Made for Recycling,’” said Andrew Meyer, CEO of AeroFlexx. “Our commitment to a circular economy is to proactively engage the industry to create an ecosystem whereby no AeroFlexx package ends up in the environment. This designation recognizes the collective commitment and effort across the entire AeroFlexx team as we believe we have an unwavering obligation to our customers, society and future generations to do our part to reduce environmental impacts without compromise on performance or the consumer experience.”

Interseroh notes that the term “recyclability” is understood to mean the extent to which the materials used to manufacture the product can be returned to the material loop at the end of the product’s useful life and therefore close the material loop. Interseroh utilizes a three-stage points system. In the first stage, it is determined whether the consumer can assign the packaging to the right collection system without any problems. In the second stage, how the packaging performs during the sorting process is assessed. In the third stage, an evaluation takes place as to how suitable the packaging is for recycling, and to determine if design features such as labels, colors or barriers make the recycling process more difficult.