Global consultancy firm Anthesis LRS is leading a project in partnership with Nestlé UK and Ireland and Coca-Cola Enterprises to assess the feasibility of including flexible laminated packaging in household recycling schemes and recovering aluminium from the packaging.
The scope of the project would include packaging of food and drink pouches, pet food pouches and toothpaste tubes.
The project is being funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) Action Based Research programme and supported by Bracknell Forest Council, Calderdale Council and the London Borough of Hounslow.
The nine-month trial project is testing different ways of engaging with residents and collecting the material at the kerbside, the aim of which is to come up with the best practice to increase the amount of flexible laminated packaging collected and recycled in England.
Anthesis LRS director said: "Flexible laminated packaging, such as food and drink pet food pouches, is becoming increasingly widespread and the global market is anticipated to continue to grow year on year.
"Therefore, if these trials prove that viable collection, sorting and recycling schemes can be implemented, it will support the increased flow of materials into the secondary markets, establishing another step towards a more circular economy in the UK."
While SUEZ environnement is handling the collections and initial sorting, the collected material will be recycled at technology developer Enval's demonstration facility at the Alconbury Enterprise Zone, near Huntingdon by separating plastic and aluminium.
The initiative will also look into how different communications approaches, consumer behaviour and brands influence collection models across different demographics and locations in London, Berkshire and Yorkshire.
SUEZ environnement technical development director at the UK recycling and waste recovery division Stuart Hayward-Higham said: "The outcomes of the trials will enable project partners and other industry stakeholders to evaluate the potential to include flexible laminated packaging in mainstream recycling collections in the UK, which SUEZ environnement is keen to explore.
