Flexible Plastic Fund Launches FlexCircular Initiative to Accelerate UK Flexible Packaging Recycling

The Flexible Plastic Fund (FPF) has launched FlexCircular, a new industry initiative aimed at advancing the recycling and circularity of flexible plastic packaging in the UK by identifying the infrastructure, investment, and policy measures needed to support large-scale domestic recycling.

The project builds on the success of the award-winning FlexCollect programme, which demonstrated that household collection of flexible plastic packaging can be implemented at scale. FlexCircular shifts the focus from collection systems to the development of a complete circular economy model capable of processing and recycling collected material back into new packaging applications.

The initiative is being delivered through collaboration between industry, government, and recycling organizations, with contributions from the UK’s Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA), PackUK, the Welsh Government, and Zero Waste Scotland. A dedicated project team comprising Suez, CEFLEX, WRAP, and RECOUP has been commissioned to conduct the research.

A primary objective of the project is to assess the infrastructure required to recycle up to 400,000 tonnes of post-consumer flexible plastic packaging annually by 2030. Particular attention will be given to achieving closed-loop recycling for food-contact packaging, enabling recovered flexible plastics to be recycled back into food-grade applications.

The research will examine several critical questions facing the packaging and recycling sectors, including future demand for recycled flexible plastics, the types and capacities of recycling facilities needed, and the level of investment required to establish a viable domestic recycling network.

The project will also evaluate the economic and environmental implications of maintaining current reliance on virgin plastic materials and explore how policy mechanisms, financial incentives, and regulatory frameworks could support investment across the recycling value chain.

Flexible plastic packaging remains one of the most challenging packaging streams to recycle due to its diverse material compositions, multilayer structures, and demanding performance requirements. Although collection systems are expanding across the UK, recycling infrastructure capable of processing these materials at commercial scale remains limited.

As governments introduce extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes, recycled-content targets, and broader circular economy policies, industry stakeholders are increasingly focused on developing domestic recycling capacity to reduce dependence on virgin materials and imported recyclates. 

“We’re delighted to build on the success of the FPF FlexCollect project and continue to work alongside experts in the industry to take flexible plastics recycling to the next level,” said Gareth Morton, Discovery Manager at Ecosurety and FPF lead.

“FPF FlexCircular is about turning the proof of collections into a real, investable circular system. By understanding what the UK needs in terms of investment, infrastructure and policy, we can maximise the opportunity to recycle flexible plastics at scale.”

Richard Akkermans, FPF spokesperson and R&D Packaging Sustainability Manager Europe at Mondelez International, said the project represents an important step toward establishing a circular system for flexible packaging.

“We’ve proven that collection at scale is possible. The next opportunity is to close the loop by investing in the recycling infrastructure to match,” Akkermans said. “For the Flexible Plastic Fund, achieving circularity for food-contact flexible plastics isn't just an ambition, it's a necessity.”

The findings are expected to provide industry stakeholders, investors, and policymakers with a roadmap for developing the UK's flexible plastic recycling infrastructure and supporting future investment decisions.

Source: The Flexible Plastic Fund

SUNSHINE Spotlight: The FlexCircular initiative aims to map the investment, infrastructure, and policy requirements needed to recycle up to 400,000 tonnes of flexible plastic packaging annually in the UK, supporting the transition from collection systems to full packaging circularity.