Polyplastic's TOPAS® Cyclic Olefin Copolymer (COC) Earns APR Recognition for Recyclability with HDPE
Farmington Hills, Mich., February 25, 2021 – The Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) has granted Critical Guidance Recognition to Polyplastics USA for high-gloss HDPE containers with 20% cyclic olefin copolymer (TOPAS® 8007F-600) outer layer. The APR recognition demonstrates that Polyplastics’ TOPAS COC is compatible with the HDPE recycle stream.
To meet the packaging industry’s demands for a circular economy, Polyplastics is aggressively developing necessary data to support industry-wide sustainability efforts. This will allow companies to confidently use COC to enhance the performance of recyclable products. The APR’s Critical Guidance Recognition follows TOPAS COC’s certification last year as a recyclable material by the European independent testing lab, Institut cyclos-HTP. In Europe, TOPAS materials are the first cyclic olefin resins in the industry to be deemed recyclable with polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) for film and injection molding uses.
The APR is an international trade association representing the plastics recycling industry, and has taken the lead in setting standards for plastics recyclability at U.S. recyclers.
“This APR recognition for COC is an important development for brand owners, manufacturers, and processors who seek recycled packaging solutions to meet today’s broad sustainability needs,” said Paul Tatarka, market development manager for Polyplastics USA. “We are now able to offer important evidence that COC can be used and recycled in HDPE in rigid blow molding applications.”
Blow molded HDPE containers with 20% COC outer layer present a very challenging test condition. This package satisfies the strictest APR Critical Guidance criteria of procedure HDPE-CG-01 and of the APR’s bottle-to-bottle test protocol. These APR protocols are intended to improve the quality of the recycled bottle stream by helping companies make informed decisions about the consequences of packaging solutions.
Polyplastics is working actively with current customers to develop extrusion blow molded (EBM) rigid containers for personal care applications. The company will also work with APR to meet its Critical Guidance for the use of COC in flexible film recycling streams.
About TOPAS Advanced Polymers
OPAS Advanced Polymers, a European subsidiary of Polyplastics Co., Ltd., is the world’s leading maker of COC (cyclic olefin copolymer), a glass-clear and extremely pure plastic for healthcare, optics, packaging, and electronics applications. From wearable insulin delivery, to food-contact films, to tablet and smartphone components, TOPAS® COC is the high-performance material of choice. The broad global regulatory compliance of TOPAS COC can make your next development a simpler task. Visit https://topas.com for more information.
About The Association of Plastic Recyclers
The Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) is an international trade association representing the plastics recycling industry. APR member companies are committed to the success of plastics recycling. Membership spans the entire industry and through their participation APR member companies are shaping the future of the industry. Learn more at www.plasticsrecycling.org.
