Wrapping up: Industrial packaging put to new use

In a time where online shopping is becoming increasingly mainstream, we can all see that the amount of packaging used to ship our orders is rapidly growing. Did you know that 40 % of the total European demand for plastics comes from the packaging sector? Since packaging has a short lifetime – generally less than a year – the amount of plastic waste generated by packaging is highly relevant. 

To contribute in addressing the management of this kind of waste, Versalis, Eni’s chemical subsidiary, is working on a circular design scheme for industrial packaging – sacks and liners made of polyethylene – used for the shipment of its products. 

Versalis set up a supply chain that ensures a controlled loop for collecting used sacks and liners and mechanically recycle them into secondary raw materials, suitable for new packaging. This process leads to resource savings, less plastic waste and improved supply chain sustainability. 

So far Versalis has successfully tested sacks and liners containing respectively up to 50% and 30% of regenerated materials. 

Associated SDGs