Reciclene was part of the 2025 Semana del Plástico (Plastics Week)

On June 9 and 13th we celebrated the 2025 Plastics Week in Colombia. This was a virtual event organized by Acoplásticos and brought leaders, companies, as well as plastics, petrochemicals, rubber, and packaging professionals together. Reciclene was a part of this event and participated during a talk led by Laura Rojas from our commercial side, and Jorge Cabrera, from the technical side.They spoke about how the company is actively helping support the transition into a circular economy through the use of post consumer resins and more sustainable compounds.

This talk began with a fundamental clarification: not all plastic transformation is created equal. Reciclene doesn’t only produce 100% postconsumer plastic resins, but it also develops compounds made out of resin and mineral blends, such as calcium carbonate. This practice allows for a lower amount of plastic to be used in the final product, without sacrificing its functionality and performance.

On the other hand, many transformers in Colombia operate informally, as Laura pointed out. Comparatively Reciclene, being a part of Grupo Plastilene which allows for a technical, operation, and corporate backing, can transform materials with the highest standards of quality and sustainability.

Ciclolene®: its own brand, a real impact

One of the main objectives of this talk was to introduce Ciclolene, our own resin and postconsumer compound brand, developed by Reciclene. All these products are ICONTEC (the Institute for Plastics and Rubber Education and Investigation) certified, guaranteeing a traceability of the postconsumer plastic content.

Besides, Reciclene is the only company in Colombia with a patent  for the production of compounds such as postconsumer resins. This makes Reciclene a pioneer in compliance of national legislation such as the Single Use Plastic Legislation.

Success Stories: applied sustainability

Amongst the success stories shared during the event was the work we’ve done with Corona. This is a flexible packaging made out of 100% recycled materials. In this case it does not only meet the legal requirements of at least 80% of recycled content, but in fact goes above this benchmark. Clients are then exempt from paying the plastic tax that could be as high as 50% of the product’s value.

We also discussed the possibility of its use in shrinkwrap with 30% of postconsumer resin and other solutions in the agricultural and construction sector. All of this is proof that circularity can be implemented in concrete ways across multiple industries.

Decreasing the Carbon Footprint, a Priority

Laura also demonstrated how the blend of mineral compounds can also lead to a carbon footprint reduction as high as 35%, even lower than other plastic formulas (this information was obtained through a Life Cycle Analysis performed through Compass®). This reduction represents a direct environmental benefit, as well as a competitive advantage for brands committed to sustainability.