New strategy for Multilayers packaging recycling

Currently, multilayer packaging is widely used for the preservation and distribution of food, beverages, pharmaceuticals and other consumable products. However, if packaging materials are excellent in preserving, protecting and extending the useful life of the packaged goods, on the other hand their recycling is very demanding because of multimaterial layers, which cannot be simply separated and reused. Actually the majority of such packaging is either incinerated or bound for landfills. 
The European project H2020 TERMINUS [1] aims at designing a smart multilayer packaging able to self-delaminate at the end of its life, thus enabling the recycling of the different layers. The delamination strategy involves the use of protected enzymes within the multilayer formulation. After a specific trigger, the enzyme is released and degrades the adhesive anchoring the layers, causing debonding, thus layers can be separated and recycled.
In detail, in the present study some enzymes with high degrading activity against some polymeric adhesives were protected, in order to increase their thermal stability and allow their use during the processing of the multilayer.
With the successful implementation of TERMINUS project, the expected results will lead to a 15% of improved economy efficiency, 80% reduction of the landfilling rates for multilayer packaging as well as 50% decrease of overall landfilling rates of plastic, along with a 65% decrease in carbon dioxide emissions. 

[1] TERMINUS has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, under grant agreement number 814400.