Award-winning British Recycling Project, NEXTLOOPP, Hits Bullseye in Plastics Recycling Ahead of COP26
20.10.2021 12:30:00 EEST | Business Wire | Press release
NEXTLOOPP, the groundbreaking project by Nextek Limited, that recently won the overall award for ‘Best Sustainable Packaging Innovation’ at Packaging Europe’s Sustainability Awards - https://packagingeurope.com/sustainability-awards-2021-winners-revealed/ has revealed the results of its highly successful tracer-based sorting trials held at TOMRA (Germany) in September 2021.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211020005464/en/
NEXTLOOPP participants in the global project to close the loop on food-grade Polypropylene (Graphic: Business Wire)
The trials, to specifically sort food-grade plastic packaging waste, achieved a resounding 99.9% sorting purity at maximum production speed.
This demonstrates that Nextek’s unique technology efficiently differentiates food packaging from non-food packaging to meet the standards required by the Food Standards Authorities in the UK and EU. Being able to identify and sort any number of pack variants from bleach bottles to milk bottles in any plastic type is a world-first that will transform the way we recycle the prolific volume of single-use post-consumer food packaging waste back into circular applications.
This announcement marks 12 months of NEXTLOOPP’s programme to close the loop on food-grade Polypropylene (FGPP), which is the biggest plastic fraction in the FMCG sector. In the UK alone, 210,000 tonnes of FGPP packaging is used in pots, tubs, trays and films each year, and this cutting-edge innovation creates the opportunity to recycle Polypropylene (PP) back into food packaging.
This also heralds a new era in the plastics packaging recycling industry and the validation of NEXTLOOPP’s PolyPRISMTM ‘plug-and-play’ marker system, as used on TOMRA’s sorting equipment for commercial purposes.
Sorting plastic waste into polymer types is the first of three vital steps needed to close the loop on PP and create a global low carbon economy. The next step requires splitting the plastic packaging into food and non-food fractions. The final step involves NEXTLOOPP’s patented decontamination process, PPristineTM, which unlocks the markets to food packaging. Recycling 63,000 tonnes of PP per annum would save a minimum estimated 105,600 tonnes in CO2 emissions in the UK each year.
“During recent trials held at our TOMRA Test Centre we achieved very promising results on all Polypropylene 3D samples in all test runs with state-of-the-art NIR/VIS technology. We exceeded the required 95% purity for food-grade in each test run. The next important milestones will be a field demonstration as well as demonstrating chemical compliance with food-grade regulation” said Ralph Uepping, Technical Director at TOMRA.
Professor Edward Kosior, founder of Nextek, believes the NEXTLOOPP project is the catalyst to transform current FGrPP recycling and become the next food-grade recycling success story. PET was first and now it’s the turn of PP.
About Nextek Ltd
Nextek is a global sustainability consultancy that provides strategic advice to regional and multi-national organisations and recycling companies. Launched in 2004, Nextek researches and develops innovative strategies and processes within the recycling ecosystem – from designing recycling plants to developing ground-breaking projects for governments and major organisations. Nextek launched NEXTLOOPP, a two-year 37-strong project, to close the loop on food-grade recycled Polypropylene (rPP). This project incorporates unique technological breakthroughs that include innovative sorting and cutting-edge decontamination technologies.
About Tomra
TOMRA is a Norwegian multinational corporation that manufactures collection and sorting products, such as reverse vending machines for the food, recycling and mining industries. TOMRA is the market leader in its industry with over 100,000 installations in 80+ markets worldwide. Its Recycling Division has pioneered the automation of waste sorting.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211020005464/en/
Contact information
Janine Wood
Email: janinewood@nexteklimited.com
Tel: +44 (0)7831582659
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Robinhood Chooses Morpho to Power New Earn Product1.7.2026 22:15:00 EEST | Press release
Morpho, the open blockchain-based credit network, today announced it will power Robinhood’s new Earn product, enabling Robinhood's millions of eligible users more options to earn yield onchain via a self-custody wallet, directly within the Robinhood app. The product will roll out progressively to Robinhood's US customer base over the coming weeks. The Robinhood Earn product aims to provide risk-adjusted yield on idle balances using USDG, a dollar-pegged stablecoin. Morpho serves as the underlying credit network, Steakhouse Financial curates the vault infrastructure supporting the product, and Robinhood Chain acts as the settlement layer. The product is delivered through a seamless experience in the Robinhood app. Morpho operates as an open network on the blockchain. Lenders and borrowers compete in real time, helping create more efficient markets and enabling financial products with better rates and terms for users. USDG supplied through Robinhood Earn is deposited into a Morpho Vault
Photonics Innovators Worldwide Invited to Compete for SPIE Prism Awards1.7.2026 21:33:00 EEST | Press release
SPIE, the international society of optics and photonics, invites the optics and photonics community to apply for this year’s SPIE Prism Awards, which recognize outstanding new products making waves on the market. Honorees will be announced at the highly-anticipated award ceremony on 3 February 2027 at SPIE Photonics West in San Francisco, California. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260701642411/en/ SPIE Prism Awards honor exceptional new products transforming optics and photonics technologies. These awards, dubbed the “Oscars of Photonics,” provide scientists and engineers in the optics and photonics industry the opportunity to showcase their contributions to the field. Finalists and winners receive extensive print, web, and onsite promotion at SPIE Photonics West, which draws more than 22,000 researchers and industry leaders every year. “The Prism Awards are recognized across the optics and photonics industry
Around 500 Attend Sino-European ESG Conference in Germany1.7.2026 19:00:00 EEST | Press release
Around 500 government officials, business executives and academics from China and Europe gathered in the western German city of Mainz on Friday for the Third Sino-European Corporate ESG Best Practice Conference to discuss how deeper cooperation can support sustainable economic growth. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260701255421/en/ Group photo of selected attendees at the conference. Hosted by the Chinese Consulate General in Frankfurt and jointly organized with authorities from Germany and China, the conference brought together participants from China, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Denmark, Luxembourg and several other countries under the theme "From Vision to Practice: Empowering Sustainable Growth Through Collaboration." Francesco La Camera, Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), delivered a video address. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Huang Yiyang, Chinese Co
Sinopec Receives CSR Award at Sino-European ESG Conference in Germany1.7.2026 16:38:00 EEST | Press release
China Petroleum & Chemical Corp. (Sinopec) has received the Corporate Social Responsibility Best Practice Award at the 3rd Sino-European Corporate ESG Best Practice Conference in Mainz, Germany, for its case study on carbon footprint management and low-carbon development. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260701696760/en/ Huang Yiyang (L), Chinese Consul General in Frankfurt, presents the award to a representative of Sinopec. The conference jury said Sinopec has developed a carbon management framework centered on product carbon footprint management, covering the full product life cycle while aligning with both Chinese and European standards. It cited the company’s work with German chemical producer BASF to achieve mutual recognition of carbon footprint accounting methodologies as a milestone that could support greener cooperation across international industrial supply chains. According to the jury, Sinopec’s eff
Vercel and Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team Announce Multi-Year Strategic Partnership1.7.2026 16:30:00 EEST | Press release
Today Vercel, the agentic infrastructure company, announced a new multi-year deal with the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team. Starting with the British Grand Prix July 2 – 5 2026, Vercel branding will appear on the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team race cars as the partnership begins its first chapter, before expanding significantly across the team ecosystem from 2027 onward. The partnership includes global branding rights, premium hospitality experiences, customer engagement, content creation, and technical collaborations, including plans to evolve the team’s digital platforms to Vercel. “Formula One is where every millisecond matters, every decision counts, and continuous innovation is fundamental to success. Vercel shares that same philosophy,” said Richard Sanders, Chief Commercial Officer, Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team. “The Vercel platform is helping organizations around the world build faster, perform better, and innovate with confidence. We are excited to wel
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom