中文LyondellBasell has developed a recycled-content flexible packaging solution for Mondelēz International’s Marabou chocolate brand in collaboration with Amcor, Taghleef Industries and other value-chain partners, demonstrating how chemical recycling can convert hard-to-recycle plastic waste into food-contact packaging materials.
CirculenRevive in Action
The packaging uses LyondellBasell’s CirculenRevive polymers, which carry 100% attributed recycled content through an ISCC PLUS mass balance certification. The result is packaging sourced from 75% recycled content, transforming post-consumer mixed plastic waste into high-quality materials suitable for food packaging.
Chemical recycling is a key enabler of the project. Unlike mechanical recycling, which can struggle with mixed, contaminated or multi-layer plastic waste, chemical recycling breaks polymers down into their molecular building blocks. These building blocks can then be reformed into virgin-quality polymers suitable for food-contact applications. This is critical because food packaging has strict safety and quality requirements that are difficult to meet with mechanically recycled materials.
“Our collaboration with Mondelēz illustrates our shared vision for the future and highlights our ability to provide innovative, high-quality circular solutions tailored to demanding specifications,” said Yvonne van der Laan, executive vice president of Sustainable Solutions and Technology Business at LyondellBasell.
Scaling Through Value-Chain Collaboration
The Marabou project depends on coordination across multiple companies. LyondellBasell supplies the circular polymers, Taghleef Industries produces the base film, and Amcor converts the material into finished flexible packaging for Mondelēz.
This type of collaboration is essential because no single company can build the entire infrastructure needed to collect, sort, recycle and reintegrate plastic waste into new packaging. Partnerships like this one are how the industry is trying to close the loop on flexible packaging, one of the most challenging formats to recycle.
Richard Akkermans, packaging sustainability manager at Mondelēz International, said the initiative shows what becomes possible when brand owners, recyclers, material producers and converters work together. “Looking ahead, our ambition is to increase the use of recycled plastic in our packaging materials,” he said.
MoReTec-1 and Future Feedstocks
LyondellBasell is building its first commercial-scale chemical recycling facility, MoReTec-1, in Germany. When operational, the plant is designed to produce 50,000 metric tons of circular feedstock annually. The company currently sources recycled feedstock for CirculenRevive polymers from third-party pyrolysis oil suppliers, while its Source One Plastics facility processes mixed plastic waste into feedstock suitable for chemical recycling.
“Chemical recycling innovation combined with the scale and reach of our existing production network can help convert hard-to-recycle plastic waste into circular feedstocks,” said LyondellBasell CEO Peter Vanacker.
The development of proprietary chemical recycling technology is important because it gives LyondellBasell more control over feedstock quality and supply. As demand for recycled-content polymers grows, owning conversion technology rather than relying entirely on third-party pyrolysis oil could become a competitive advantage.
Regulatory Alignment
The project also supports progress toward European recycling goals and anticipated recycled-content requirements under the European Union Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation. Flexible packaging has historically been one of the hardest formats to recycle into food-contact materials, so demonstrating a viable chemical recycling pathway is particularly important for meeting future regulatory targets.
For brands and converters, the Marabou case study offers a practical example of how recycled-content flexible packaging can be achieved through certified mass balance systems and value-chain partnerships. It suggests that circular packaging for food products is becoming commercially viable, even for complex multi-layer structures that have traditionally relied on virgin materials.
Looking ahead, the success of the Marabou project will depend on whether the supply chain can scale reliably and whether consumers respond positively to packaging that includes chemically recycled content. Transparency about mass balance certification and the role of chemical recycling will be important for maintaining consumer trust while meeting ambitious sustainability commitments.
Industry Significance
The Marabou project is part of a growing number of commercial demonstrations that aim to prove chemical recycling can deliver food-grade recycled materials at scale. If successful, these projects could unlock significant new supply of recycled polymers for flexible packaging, helping the industry meet ambitious sustainability targets without compromising product safety or performance.
However, chemical recycling also faces questions about energy use, yields, and economic viability compared to mechanical recycling. The coming years will determine whether projects like Marabou can scale beyond niche applications to become a mainstream solution for flexible packaging circularity.
For brand owners, the project offers a template for how to introduce recycled-content flexible packaging while maintaining product quality and consumer trust. The combination of certified mass balance, value-chain collaboration and high-performance polymers suggests a path that other brands can follow.
Looking ahead, the success of the Marabou project will depend on whether the supply chain can scale reliably and whether consumers respond positively to packaging that includes chemically recycled content. Transparency about mass balance certification and the role of chemical recycling will be important for maintaining consumer trust while meeting ambitious sustainability commitments.
Source: Packaging Digest
