The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) has officially come into effect in February 2025 and will enter the substantive application stage from August 2026. For supercritical physical foam PE materials, an unavoidable question arises: how to reasonably introduce recycled materials while maintaining the quality and mechanical properties of the foam cells, and meet the increasingly stringent requirements of the European Union for recycled content and recyclability?
Why does supercritical foamed PE material have the advantage of recyclability?
◆ Supercritical foaming uses supercritical CO₂ or N₂ as physical foaming agents, replacing chemical foaming agents. Its core advantage is that the foaming agent induces the growth of foam pores through rapid pressure relief, forming a microporous structure. From an environmental perspective, supercritical foaming itself is non-toxic, non flammable, chemically inert, and has no chemical residues, which is highly consistent with the EU's regulatory direction on the chemical safety of packaging materials.
◆ The recycling of cross-linked PE (XPE or IXPE) after foaming has always been a pain point in the industry. The crosslinked structure endows PE foam with excellent dimensional stability and mechanical properties, but also makes it difficult to recover it through conventional melting reprocessing. However, supercritical PE foaming does not introduce chemical crosslinking agents, and the molecular chains remain linear, providing a basis for melting and reprocessing. Therefore, the recycling advantages of supercritical PE foaming materials are increasingly evident, which can better meet the material recycling requirements of the EU PPWR.
2. Hard constraints and timetable for EU PPWR
PPWR replaces the original 94/62/EC directive and will be fully applicable from August 12, 2026. For plastic packaging, the core constraints include:
◆ Mandatory target for recycling content: Starting from January 1, 2030, plastic packaging must meet the minimum recycling content requirement, with targets ranging from 10% to 35% for different packaging types; By 2040, it will further increase to 25% to 65%. Plastic components (such as bottle caps and labels) that account for less than 5% of the total weight of the packaging unit are exempt.
◆ Recyclability requirement: Starting from 2030, all packaging must meet the minimum level of recyclable design (Grade C), and by 2038, it will be raised to Grade B (≥ 80%). For foam materials, this means that a single material design, easily peelable components, and compatibility with existing recycling streams become crucial.
◆ Additional restrictions on EPS/XPS: PPWR explicitly prohibits food containers, beverage cups, and cup lids made of EPS and XPS expanded polystyrene. The relevant ban will be implemented from February 12, 2029. Although PE foam materials have not been directly named, this regulatory signal is clear: foam plastic packaging is facing systematic scrutiny, and compliance with recycled materials is not a "bonus point", but an "admission ticket".
According to the EU PPWR (Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulations), PE foam materials, as "other plastic packaging", are required to have a minimum recycled content of 35% from 2030 and an increase to 65% from 2040.
3. Conclusion
The technical feasibility of combining supercritical PE foaming with recycled materials is gradually being verified. BAIJUR's supercritical PE foam material adopts pure physical foaming technology. BAIJUR is actively following up with PPWR regulations, and the recyclability of BAIJUR's supercritical PE foam material has basically reached 100%. BAIJUR is actively following up with PPWR Article 7 on the mandatory content requirements for post consumer recycled materials (PCR), and exploring the addition path of 35% PCR in the formulation.
From pure physical foaming to recyclable design, and then to active layout of PCR compliance, BAIJUR's technical roadmap is not a passive response to regulations, but a starting point for process design that prioritizes compliance requirements. The feasibility of this path is being validated from the laboratory to the production line before the time window of full applicability of PPWR in August 2026.
