Amcor collaborates with industry leaders for Danish food packaging recycling project

Product Development

December 16, 2025

Industrial waste processing facility

ZURICH, December 16, 2025 — Amcor (NYSE: AMCR, ASX: AMC) a global leader in developing and producing responsible packaging solutions, announced the support of an ambitious three-year plastic recycling project led by Danish Technological Institute. The co-funded innovation partnership Circular Recycling Innovation for Sustainable Packaging (CRISP) aims to establish the full-scale circular recycling of food packaging in polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) rigid plastics from household collections.

Besides Amcor, the project will involve major food manufacturers and waste management specialists. Amcor will bring recycling and technical expertise from its state-of-the-art CleanStream® facility in Leamington Spa, UK, and their packaging production facility in Randers, Denmark, utilizing its knowledge, skills and experience in producing and designing food packaging in recycled materials.

The CRISP partnership has the potential to significantly contribute to the implementation of a circular plastic economy in Denmark. The effort is timely with the EU targeting a plastic recycling rate of 55% by 2030*. The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) stipulates that by the same year, the majority of plastic packaging must be designed for recyclability, allowing materials to be reused or recycled effectively. **

“Sustainable challenges require industry collaboration, and this partnership will demonstrate what can be done when the supply chain comes together,” said Christian Bruno, R&D director for North East Europe at Amcor. “We are proud to be part of a project that could potentially have a significant environmental impact in Denmark and set new standards worldwide.”

It is anticipated that the CRISP partnership will help develop and mature a systemic solution to deliver food-grade packaging from post-consumer sources. Collaboration is the driver for this change and focus will also be on the documented traceability of food contact materials in the recycling loop. The goal is to create a new, fully circular, market for the circular recycling of food packaging in rHDPE and rPP.

All this aligns with Denmark’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme, which obligates producers to pay for the packaging they place on the market, while also offering financial incentives for more sustainable product design and material selection.

Christian Bruno added: “The long-term goal is to establish circular loops for food plastic packaging aligned with the design guidelines from the PPWR. The EU’s goals are driving this industry to greater highs; the project will make a strong business case for the entire value chain, with improved traceability of food contact materials in the recycling system.”

Business Manager Per Sigaard Christensen from Danish Technological Institute said: “We are delighted to bring together this highly knowledgeable and innovative consortium. This three-year project has the potential to provide a clear pathway towards the circular recycling of PE and PP food packaging.”

Amor’s proprietary CleanStream® technology mechanically recycles domestically recovered household waste into high-purity recycled plastic. It can operate within existing waste management infrastructures. In the UK, Amcor’s Leamington Spa facility has the capacity to recycle nearly 40% of all UK PP waste collected from domestic recycling bins.

*https://www.valpak.co.uk/eu-recycling-targets-progress-and-challenges-on-the-path-to-a-circular-economy/

*** While the PPWR applies broadly, there are specific exemptions and derogations for certain categories—such as medicinal, pharmaceutical, and other contact-sensitive packaging—which may follow alternative timelines or requirements*

About CRISP
The aim of CRISP (2025-2028) is to further develop and demonstrate technology to recycle PE and PP food packaging from household plastic waste into new food contact approved packaging. CRISP stands for "Circular Recycling Innovation for Sustainable Packaging". The partnership is supported by the Environmental Technology Development and Demonstration Programme (MUDP) under the Ministry of Environment and Gender Equality as a lighthouse project.

CRISP is a partnership between Svensk Plaståtervinning, Aage Vestergaard Larsen, Amcor, Pharma-Tech A/S, Arla Foods amba, Nestlé Nordics, VANA, and Danish Technological Institute.

About Amcor
Amcor is the global leader in developing and producing responsible consumer packaging and dispensing solutions across a variety of materials for nutrition, health, beauty and wellness categories. Our global product innovation and sustainability expertise enables us to solve packaging challenges around the world every day, producing a range of flexible packaging, rigid packaging, cartons and closures that are more sustainable, functional and appealing for our customers and their consumers. We are guided by our purpose of elevating customers, shaping lives and protecting the future. Supported by a commitment to safety, over 75,000 people generate $23 billion in annualized sales from operations that span over 400 locations in more than 40 countries. NYSE: AMCR; ASX: AMC www.amcor.com | LinkedIn | YouTube