In addition to the present packaging mix, German manufacturer of detergents and cleaning agents Henkel (Düsseldorf; www.henkel.de) is now also marketing Pril and other products in stand-up pouches. Since 1 February 2024, refill concentrates of the washing-up liquid and the cleaner brands Sidolin and Biff have also been available on the German market in flexible packs of polyethylene monomaterial. Their introduction in other countries is being planned, a company spokesperson told Plasteurope.com.

The Pril concentrate pouches with a content of 120 ml are not, unlike the usual refill packs, resealable. Henkel recommends filling the concentrate into conventional, dimensionally stable bottles and mixing it with tap water. The bottles have been made of 100% PET recyclate for some time now.

By switching to plastic film, Henkel aims to reduce its carbon footprint, because less material is processed per pack. Apart from that, the company regards the concept of reusing old detergent bottles as an anticipation of regulations that are currently being discussed in the context of the EU’s new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). The focus, said the spokesperson, is on the implementation of a re-use concept: “With the concentrates for dilution, we ensure that the existing bottles are reused”. 

According to the latest data from the British sustainability foundation Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF, Cowes; www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org) for the year 2022, the proportion of flexible pouch packs by Henkel worldwide was 4.9%. In total, in that year, Henkel processed 307,845 t of plastics into packaging for consumer goods and adhesive products, whereby the proportion of dimensionally stable HDPE covers was 44.7% – much higher than that of the PET bottles (12.9%).

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The recyclability of the new pouch film has, according to Henkel, been confirmed by Cyclos-HTP (Aachen, Germany; www.cyclos-htp.de). The recommended method of disposal is via the yellow bag or recycling bin.