Plastilene Group obtained the LOOP-ICIPC eco-design

A “recyclable” or “100% recyclable” claim must have a sustainable basis.

Institute for Training and Research in Plastics and Rubber ICIPC.

Our commitment to packaging sustainability

Just as consumers obtain information about the nutritional components of the products they buy, at Plastilene Group we believe it is also important for them to have information (at hand, clear and verifiable) about the sustainable properties of the packaging that is protecting the product and what should be the correct way to dispose of it.

Thanks to the new LOOP-ICIPC eco-design seal, consumers will be able to identify, on two of our packages, both the level of utilization and the color of the container or bag in which they should dispose of them so that this post-consumer plastic waste has value for the recycler and the processing companies.

Thus, we will be able to transform and reincorporate sugar packaging (from our client Incauca) and toilet paper packaging (from our client Grupo Familia), as raw material, in the manufacture of:

• Secondary packaging
• Extruded films
• Raw material in the injection of high-value industrial parts.

The fact that we do not directly reach the final consumer does not mean that we are not interested in teaching them important aspects of packaging from plastics industry.

Luisa Ribero, head of sustainability.

A seal that unifies the language of all the actors in the chain.

This certification is far from greenwashing. Unlike self-declarations, the LOOP-ICIPC eco-design seal, which is valid for one year, is granted by an independent, non-profit institution with 28 years of experience in the development of technical knowledge applied to plastic and rubber transformation industry in Colombia.

When the Instituto de Capacitación e Investigación del Plástico y el Caucho ICIPC (Plastic and Rubber Training and Research Institute) proposed this certification, it addressed the need to educate and communicate to all actors in the chain that plastic packaging has the conditions to be exploited.

Therefore, based on DIN-ISO 14021 / EN 13430 standards and laboratory tests, it developed an evaluation method with 14 criteria on recyclability and eco-design that allow the plastic packaging to be scored and placed on a scale according to its level of utilization.

If the packaging obtains less than 70%, it does not obtain type A certification, but a report with recommendations that will help the manufacturer to rethink the way it is produced. In this way, from the design stage, it will be better prepared to be a usable waste and be reincorporated in more applications.

This will strengthen the utilization chains of some materials that were not previously perceived as having value.

Making plastic circular economy a reality

Plastic, due to its technical and mechanical properties, has become indispensable in our daily lives, so much so that about 1.4 million tons are used annually, according to Environment Ministry and Ministry of Housing.

Thus, when used permanently, it is in the world of waste and, although there are technically recyclable plastics, the direction of them will depend on the commitment of all actors:

• Manufacturers designing products that are better prepared to be used.
• Brand owners communicating what should be the final disposal of their products (type of container).
• Final consumer separating their waste and ensuring that it reaches the waste pickers in optimal conditions (without contaminating).
• The professional recycler selecting, collecting and commercializing usable waste.
• Transforming this waste into raw materials for high-value applications.

This is precisely the importance of this seal, to ensure that all actors in the chain are aware of the value of post-consumer plastic products.

The ICIPC has even provided a section in which the validity of the seal can be checked by company name or the name of the plastic structure.

This is the first part of our contribution to plastic circular economy. Find out about the second part here.