12 - Recycling of food packaging materials: an overview

Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of the recycling of the food packaging materials. Recycling is the reprocessing of the waste material in a production process either for the original purpose or for other purposes. The availability of packaging materials that are accurately sorted, washed, and free from contaminants is a prerequisite for their recycling. The mere technical feasibility of the recycling is that only one of the elements rendering such processes is economically worthwhile. The costs associated with collection and sorting are of primary importance in the economic balance, since they might result in different qualities of the input stream and therefore influence the quality and the value of the secondary raw materials. Costs related to logistics and transportation also play an important role in the economic balance, because of the volume of the packaging to be transported. Recyclability of packaging is not always driven by environmental goals; however, economic, political, and social factors play a major role. Waste minimization, best use of natural resources, and limitation of the environmental impact of post-use packaging are the benefits of packaging recycling. Recycling, however, is not always the best environmental option. It should be weighed against other forms of minimization of the environmental impact, such as energy recovery, which in specific eco-balances might lead to more favorable scenarios.