Researchers at Parana Polytechnic Institute in Brazil have recently developed a new method for recycling reinforced packaging materials that can easily classify and recycle any kind of paper as well as PVC plastic or polyethylene.
It is a special chemical solvent that plays an important role in the recycling process. After immersing the fortified bag in this solvent for two and a half minutes, the plastic, aluminum, and paper in the packaging material are divided into layers. The three components are then manually separated and the residual solvent is removed at high pressure. The three species can be recovered by classification.
The recycling targets for this technology include the packaging of milk and fruit juices, as well as thinner packaging such as salt, vacuum coffee, and eggs.