Shell Polymers and ISOFlex, a division of Sigma Plastics Group, have launched a commercial collaboration enabling the use of ISCC PLUS certified circular polyethylene in food-grade flexible packaging.
Flexible packaging is one of the fastest-growing plastics segments, but also among the hardest to recycle due to multilayer films and contamination risks. Industry efforts to incorporate mechanically recycled content are limited by food safety concerns and material degradation. The Shell–ISOFlex collaboration seeks to bridge this gap by supplying converters with virgin-quality resins derived from circular feedstocks, enabling films to meet both regulatory and performance standards.
Shell Polymers is supplying the certified resin from its Monaca, Pennsylvania facility. The material carries ISCC PLUS certification, which verifies that circular attributes are allocated through a mass balance approach and audited by independent third parties. For converters like ISOFlex, this provides assurance that claims of recycled content are backed by a transparent and traceable chain of custody.
The use of ISCC PLUS standards is particularly relevant as the European Union and U.S. states expand requirements for extended producer responsibility (EPR) and recycled content mandates. With California mandating 30% recycled content in plastic beverage containers by 2028 and the EU targeting 50% plastic packaging recycling by 2025, certification frameworks are becoming essential for demonstrating compliance.
ISOFlex, which operates seven facilities across the United States, specializes in producing packaging films for laminating, printing, and converting. With Sigma Plastics Group processing over 2 billion pounds of resin annually, scaling certified circular polyethylene into commercial packaging applications could influence a significant share of the North American film market.
The post Shell Polymers and ISOFlex Advance Food-Grade Packaging with Circular Polyethylene first appeared on www.circularbusinessreview.com.
