Ultimate Guide: What is Recyclable Pouch?

Today sustainable packaging is so important that many countries have guidelines on packaging selections. Packaging can be reuse, reduce or recyclable are encouraged to use. Actually some countries even have laws that in 2025, all the flexible packaging needs to be compostable or recyclable.

Flexible packaging is one of the most important packaging. When single layer bags/film can eventually recyclable; the laminated pouches will be the most difficult packaging to recycle, especially the high barrier laminated pouches. That’s why recyclable pouches are the most important part of recyclable packaging.

Today we will give you an ultimate guide on what is recyclable pouch.

 It’s an in-depth article that takes 20 minutes to read. 

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Ultimate Guide: What is Recyclable Pouch?

1) The definition of Recyclable Pouches

Recyclable pouches are laminated flexible packaging pouches that are designed to be collected, processed, and reused in the production of new products, including more packaging materials. The goal of recyclable pouches is to create packaging that has a reduced impact on the environment by promoting circular economy principles and minimizing waste. Currently there are 2 main recyclable pouches: Mono-material Recyclable PE Pouches and Mono-material Recyclable PP Pouches.

Tea 6

2) Most often use materials of Recyclable Pouches

There are many film materials used to make laminated pouches: PE, PP, BOPP, CPP, PET, AL, PA, foil, Metalized PET, paper, PS, BAT, PLA, PVC. But currently only PE and PP are good for recyclable pouches materials.

PE recyclable pouches take up about 80% market share

PP recyclable pouches take up about 20% market share

recyclable stand up pouches

3) Most often use film structures of Recyclable Pouches

PE Recyclable Pouches laminated film structure

PE / PE

MDO-PE / PE

MDO-PE / PCR PE

PE / PCR PE

High barrier MDO-PE / PE

MDO-PE / Metalized MDO-PE / PE

PE / EVOH PE

MDO-PE / EVOH PE

EVOH PE / PE

 

BOPP / CPP

BOPP / VMCPP

ALOX-OPP / CPP

ALOX-OPP / VMCPP

4) What kind of bag types can Recyclable Pouches make?

Basically recyclable pouches can be made as all kinds of bags

Recyclable stand up pouches

Recyclable stand up pouches with zipper

Recyclable spout pouch

Recyclable side gusset bag

Recyclable flat pouch

Recyclable 3 side seal bag

Recyclable flat bottom pouch

Recyclable box pouch

Recyclable shaped pouch

Recyclable roll stock

Recyclable retort pouches

48 RECYCLABLE POUCES

5) Markets applications for Recyclable Pouches:

Basically recyclable pouches can replace all the bags made from conventional materials.

Recyclable pet food pouches

Recyclable coffee bag

Recyclable tea bag

Recyclable juice pouch

Recyclable snack bag

Recyclable nut pouch

Recyclable food bag

Recyclable non-food bag,

Etc.

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6) How Recyclable Pouches typically work?

  1. Material Selection: Recyclable pouches are made from materials that are widely accepted and processed by recycling facilities. These materials can include various types of plastics, paper, and other materials that can be easily sorted and processed. But as we know, We will need mono-materials to make it recyclable, and we need lamination to make it pouches. So Paper is not possible to make recyclable pouches cause Paper material only cannot do lamination. Currently the main materials for recyclable pouches are PP and PE. Especially the mono-material PE pouches are widely use today for recyclable pouches. and the most important function is the PE pouches can be with high barrier function which is the most important characteristics for laminated packaging.

 

  1. Design for Recycling: Packaging designers and manufacturers take into consideration the recyclability of the materials used and the overall design of the pouch. The design should enable easy separation of different materials, such as removing labels or components that might hinder recycling. But the easiest way is to use mono material, so you don’t need to sort it. We just need to make sure the packaging used is clean and without any extra labels. Orelse we will need to clean it or take off the label first.

 

  1. Collection and Sorting: After consumers use and discard products, the pouches are collected through recycling programs. They are then sorted at recycling facilities to separate different types of materials and remove contaminants. Nowadays where there is How2Recycle tin in the super market stores for waste collection will make the collection process easier. and the sorting with just couple materials will be easier, especially it is always mono-material so we don’t need to take the materials apart which is the biggest challenge.

 

  1. Processing: The collected pouches are processed to break down the materials into reusable forms. For plastic pouches, this often involves melting the plastic down and forming it into pellets or granules that can be used to create new products. Normally the colored materials will recycle together and make it black color resin. While white color will recycle to white resin.

 

  1. Manufacturing of New Products: The recycled materials are then used to manufacture new products, including pouches and other packaging materials. These materials replace the need for virgin materials, reducing the demand for raw resources. The black PCR material can be used to make single layer bags such as courier bags or plastic chain, etc. While the white PCR resin can be used to make white film, and it is also possible as the film materials to make laminated pouches.
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7) The Advantages of Recyclable Pouches

  1. Waste Reduction: By designing packaging that can be recycled, less waste ends up in landfills or as litter. The recyclable pouches can be collected again and make recycled products. In this case we will use less resources, and we will have less waste cause these wastes are being collected and recycled.
  1. Resource Conservation: Recycled materials reduce the need for extracting and processing virgin materials, conserving natural resources. Any of the design recyclable material will eventually consume less materials from the nature. As we all know today, there is limitation of natural resources. For any of the less consumption behavior, will help to leave more for the future. 
  1. Energy Savings: Recycling often requires less energy than producing materials from scratch. When we collect, sort, clean and recycle the material. It will definitely use less energy than to get the oil from the land/ocean and make it as resin. Everything we save, will make it less consume for the natural resources. A saving is a earning too. 
  1. Emission Reduction: Using recycled materials can lead to lower carbon emissions and environmental pollution compared to using new materials. Carbon emission is in the agreement for all the countries. We even signed a standard for it. It is important that one company can contribute for it, and it will be also important that one country can make it less emission, and eventually the world will have less carbon emission.
reccyclable food packaging

8) The future of Recyclable Pouches

As we know conventional packaging is not recyclable, this is a huge problem for our environment. With the sustainability concept of the public, better protection of the environment, and development of the recyclable pouch technology ( included design, manufacturing, application, collection, sorting and recycling); all the laminated pouches will become recyclable pouches.

What Longdapac Can Help?

Longdapac is the leading flexible packaging manufacturer from China since 1991. We focus on sustainable flexible packaging as you can see below:

100% Fully Recyclable High Barrier Mono-Material PE Pouches

High Barrier MDO-PE Film

MDO-PE Film

PCR Pouches

Longdapac is the first high barrier MDO-PE film manufacturer in China and it is the first high barrier mono-material PE pouch manufacturer in China. Most widely use film structures as below: 

MDO-PE / PE

High barrier MDO-PE / PE

PE / EVOH PE

PE / PCR PE

With this materials, we can make recyclable stand pouch pouch, gusset bag, recyclable flat bottom pouch, flat pouch, etc.

Longdapac recyclable high barrier mono-material PE pouches can meet the recyclability of:

Longdapac is a BRC and ISO certified factory with annual capacity of more than 25,000 tons.

And we are also a leading company of hevy duty PE open mouth bags and PE valve bags from 10kg, 25kg, to 70kg. 

As leading flexible packaging companies in China, basically Longdapac can satisfy all your recyclable flexible packaging needs, both standard and high barrier.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HIGH BARRIER MDO-PE FILM AND 100% RECYCLABLE HIGH BARRIER MONO-MATERIAL PE POUCHES, PLEASE CONTACT OUR TEAM TODAY.

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This article is written by Longdapac

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Mono-material Pouches

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