How collection works across Europe
Most European countries collect beverage cartons with light packaging — the same stream as plastics and metals — rather than with paper, because the polyethylene and aluminium layers would contaminate a paper mill's standard pulp. Sorting facilities then separate cartons optically into their own bale grade, liquid packaging board.
Collection performance varies widely by country: deposit systems, kerbside separation and public awareness all move the number. That variation is why supply of the downstream PolyAl fraction is concentrated in a handful of countries with strong carton collection.
The fibre side: mature and well-understood
Liquid packaging board bales go to mills with hydrapulpers suited to laminates. Water and agitation release the cellulose, which is reused in corrugated board, tissue and moulded fibre. Yield is high and the market for recovered fibre is established, so this side of carton recycling has been commercially routine for years.
The PolyAl side: the actual bottleneck
What remains after pulping — roughly a quarter of the carton's mass — is polyethylene film bonded to aluminium foil. For years, mills paid to dispose of it or sent it to energy recovery. Two things changed: mechanical recycling proved you can pelletise PolyAl with the aluminium retained as a reinforcement, and regulation created demand for certified recycled polyolefins.
Capacity is now being built at speed. In 2024 the carton industry committed €40M to add around 40,000 tonnes a year of PolyAl processing, alongside established operators such as Palurec in Germany, Plastigram in Czechia and Recon Polymers in the Netherlands. Each uses a different route — dry physical separation, solvent dissolution or compounding — and the resulting materials are not interchangeable.
What regulation requires
The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) sets binding recycled-content targets for plastic packaging and tightens recyclability requirements. In parallel, CSRD/ESRS E1 reporting forces manufacturers to quantify Scope 3 emissions, of which purchased materials (category 1) is usually the largest slice.
The practical effect for converters and brands is that certified, traceable post-consumer recyclate stops being a marketing choice and becomes a compliance input. Carton-derived PolyAl is attractive here because its origin is documented, its supply is European and its recycled content is unambiguous.
Sourcing carton-derived material
Buyers generally choose between three formats. Unwashed bales are the cheapest input and suit recyclers with their own washing lines. Washed bales remove the pulp residue and cut drying energy. Finished pellets are ready to run on standard injection and extrusion equipment with no upstream investment.
Whichever format you buy, ask for the same three things: a specification against UNE 53925:2026, batch homogeneity (mixed sources give inconsistent MFI and ash content), and traceability documentation you can use in Scope 3 reporting.
Carton recycling at a glance
| Collection stream | Light packaging in most EU countries, not paper |
|---|---|
| Bale grade | Liquid packaging board (LPB) |
| Fibre fraction | ~75% — corrugated board, tissue, moulded fibre |
| PolyAl fraction | ~25% — recycled polyolefin pellets |
| Key EU rule | PPWR recycled-content targets |
| Reporting angle | GHG Protocol Scope 3 cat. 1, CSRD/ESRS E1 |