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The PolyNext Blog
Safe by Design: The Challenge of Using Recycled Plastics in Food Packaging
Recycled plastics can play a major role in food packaging—but only when safety is designed into the entire value chain. From collection and decontamination to food-grade rPET, discover how safe-by-design principles are shaping Europe’s circular packaging transition.
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Beyond Mechanical Recycling: Chemical and Enzymatic Solutions for Blended Textiles and Complex Packaging
Mechanical recycling alone cannot handle blended textiles, multilayer packaging, and contaminated plastics. Chemical and enzymatic recycling are emerging as complementary routes to recover high-value monomers and create virgin-equivalent materials—opening new opportunities for Italy’s textile and packaging sectors.
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EPR Is Reshaping Global Plastics Trade: What Recyclers in the Middle East Need to Know
EPR is rewriting the rules of global plastics trade. For Middle East recyclers, traceability, quality, and compliance are becoming the keys to competitiveness as EU restrictions on plastic waste exports to non-OECD countries take effect on 21 November 2026.
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Top Plastic Recycling Events to Attend in Italy: From Circular Economy to Sustainable Packaging
Explore the top plastic recycling and circular-economy events in Italy in 2027, including PolyNext Italy in Rome and Plastics & Rubber Italy in Milan. Discover key event dates, locations and focus areas for recycling, packaging, materials, circularity and sustainable plastics.
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Reshaping the Void: Engineering Breakthroughs Revolutionizing Plastic Waste
Engineering breakthroughs are turning plastic waste into high-value materials for 3D printing, packaging, and infrastructure. Discover how advanced recycling and materials science are reshaping the future of plastics.
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Beyond Recycling Rates: Why Material Quality Will Define the Future of Circular Plastics
As Europe tightens recycled-content rules, the future of circular plastics will depend less on recycling rates and more on the quality of material kept in use.
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From Deserts to Circular Hubs: Building Closed-Loop Polymer Systems in the Middle East
The Middle East is building the foundations for closed-loop polymer systems by connecting petrochemical assets with recycling infrastructure, circular packaging, advanced technologies and growing demand for recycled materials.
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Digital Product Passports: What European Plastic Manufacturers Need to Know Now
Digital Product Passports are set to change how European plastic manufacturers manage product data, traceability, sustainability information, and end-of-life requirements. Here is what manufacturers need to know about the evolving EU DPP framework.
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Beyond the Bottle: Solving the Multi-Layer Flexible Packaging Recycling Crisis
Multi-layer flexible packaging helps keep food fresh but remains difficult to recycle. Discover three key strategies—mono-materials, advanced recycling, and compatibilizers—driving progress beyond the bottle.
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Making Circular Plastics Competitive: How Europe Can Scale Quality, Traceability and Profitability
Europe’s circular plastics transition will depend on more than recycling targets. By improving material quality, strengthening traceability and developing profitable business models, the industry can make recycled plastics a reliable and competitive alternative to virgin materials.
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Designing Plastics for Circularity
Plastic circularity will not come from recycling alone. It starts with designing products and packaging…
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Smarter Factories, Better Polymers: How AI Is Transforming Manufacturing
Plastics factories are getting smarter. By integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into production lines, manufacturers can…
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