Inno-Talk - FlexPack Knowledge
Packaging Award, Paper Recycling & Digital Product Passport | FlexPack.News with Dominik Lichtenthäler
In this episode, Julian Thielen talks with Dominik Lichtenthäler (Interzero) about the key developments in the flexpack industry in July. Episode Topics: ✅ Recap of the German Packaging Award jury session in early July – around 220 entries, 36 winners, and tips for future applicants ✅ Winner spotlight: push-pull closure from Werner & Mertz and Abda Closures made from 100% PCR material, produced using a new in-mould assembly process ✅ Recycled content in flexpack – new entries with 30–35% PCR content sourced from Germany's yellow bag system, including applications in detergent and food packaging ✅ ProPakMa study on the recyclability of paper packaging – why rigid thresholds like Germany's 95/5 rule fall short, and how other EU countries apply significantly different ratios ✅ Practical insights after 8 years of "Made for Recycling" testing: comparing extrusion, dispersion, and wax coatings plus metallization – and why wax coatings, despite good CEPI test results, cause real problems in practice ✅ Why the quality of paper/board/carton from yellow-bag sorting (LVP) remains poor, and why the blue bin must not become "the new yellow bin" ✅ Digital Product Passport: the EU has launched an official register along with a testing environment – what this means for manufacturers, brands, and recyclers ✅ Confidentiality vs. disclosure obligations – why suppliers hesitate to share material data, and why clear contractual agreements will become essential going forward ✅ Inside Interzero's "Check for Recycling" tool for creating conformity declarations – onboarding experiences ranging from large corporations to overwhelmed SMEs ✅ Preview of the InnoPouch Conference in Barcelona: talks on the Digital Product Passport (Albin Kaelin) and Check for Recycling (Alexandre Zuber) ✅ PPWR Day on August 12 – are companies ready with their conformity declarations, or will many not tackle the topic until 2027? A conversation about recyclability, data quality, the German Packaging Award, and the upcoming PPWR deadlines for the flexpack industry.
