This is what happened at the 3rd Sustainable Innovation Fair at Grupo Plastilene

Grupo Plastilene’s third Sustainable Innovation Fair was held at the Reciclene plant in Tocancipá,  alongside Plastilene, Altalene, Reciclene, Plastilene Inc, and Technofilms. After the previous iterations at Plastilene in Soacha and Technofilms in Guatemala, this fair had a special characteristic: it was the first to welcome employees from Plastilene and Altalene to Reciclene. They got to see up close how the companies’ work together and see how our circular economy works in person.

Besides, these spaces have given us the opportunity to share knowledge to have new ideas and projects from the different teams. Our objective was to strengthen a perception of innovation that touches all areas, companies, and partners.

A journey through our sustainable innovation strategy

During the visit, the teams saw the different stands with unique developments and tools:

1. Social Responsibility: we shared our donation initiatives and volunteering programs.
   
2. Environmental Management: we highlighted our carbon footprint calculator that allows us to measure our impacts and define what actions have to be taken to compensate for them according to the quantity of trees needed to neutralize our emissions.
   
3. Labeling – Plastilene: shared label solutions, washable inks, and designs with recycling in mind, with shrinkwraps or labels of the same material as the bottle to facilitate their recovery.
4. Plastilene Inc and Technofilms: the development team shared with visitors the innovation materials that were developed for the central and north american market.
   
5. Altalene: presented packaging with post-consumer content, exempt from the plastic tax, and the single use plastic prohibition..
   
6. Reciclene: exhibited Ciclolene®, alongside cores, pallets, and plastic profiles made out of reclaimed materials.

The circular economy is live! 

Asistants had the opportunity to tour our Reciclene plant. In the first facility they saw the cores, pallets, strap, plastic profiles and Ciclolene® ‘s formulations (PCR with mineral loads); in the second the focus was on the production of PCR resins. With this context, the movement of post industrial waste from Plastilene to Reciclene started to make sense, as well as other waste that we produce at home, they are given to waste pickers to be transformed into pellets and be then returned and used as feedstock for Altalene to produce new products.

There was also a special space to compare material alternatives depending on their performance. A clear example were the plastic pallets: their resistance and repairability allow them to have components fixed and extend its lifespan, especially when comparing them to wooden solutions that are no longer usable after being damaged.

When talking about food packaging, the Paper-Like Solutions present themselves as a great solution for products with humidity and grease challenges. These products have great barrier and processing capabilities to compete with carton and other multimaterial products that are in contact with food.

One of the learning outcomes of the fair was that these projects take time, since they factor in multiple variables:

• The material and its primary function
• The production process
• The adaptation from the client to new characteristics
• The market’s response
• The regulatory landscape

An example of this last variable is our experience with our plastic bags: there is a general ban, but bags made out of 100% national PCR can be exempt, which also makes the supply chain more agile to increase demand. Above all, it is clear that any innovation is born from science: data, proof, and technical validation.

Projects that promote innovation

Towards the end of the fair we highlighted the importance of partnerships: inside of the Group, alongside clients, and with entities that promote change. In this framework, Reciclene received economic support from Plastilene and Altalene for co-coreated projects that were selected for the PROUSAR contest, and with the support of GIZ:

• Project 1: Flexible bags and packages with PCR resin

Led by: Altalene S.A.S.
Supplier: Reciclene S.A.S. (Certified Ciclolene PCR).

Client: COLANTA.

Objective: incorporate more than 25% of Ciclolene PCR in packagings to reduce the use of virgin plastic.

Results (Jun/2023 – Oct/2024):

• 139 t of packaging with PCR.
• 9 millions of secondary packaging (SixPack) for COLANTA.
• Impact: avoided approximately 69 t CO₂e.

Project 2: Flexible packaging with certified PCR from a national origin

Led: Plastilene S.A.S.

Supplier: Reciclene S.A.S.
Client: POSTOBÓN S.A.S.

Objective: incorporate Ciclolene PCR into shrinkwrap films for beverages.

Results (Nov/2022 – Oct/2024):

• 2.079.718 kg of plastic film with 10% PCR content.
• 207,97 t of virgin plastic replaced.
• 19.998.708 beverages repacks in the market with this solution
• Impact: avoided approximately 413 t CO₂e.

Besides the economic push, this confirmed that the impact is more when several entities work together towards a shared goal and take decisions based on science and data 

To make these projects a reality was a monumental task. It required generating and stabilizing a PCR resin in large quantities, operating multiple lines and turns, while maintaining performance and the client’s waste in adequate quantities. In practice this meant designing and stabilizing the films that run at industrial speeds without affecting its process. With that base technique, the next step was to increase the amount of PCR (30 %, 40 %, 50 %, 100 %) and scaling alongside allies, clients, and the legislations that facilitate demand.

* estimated GWP using Compass® software.