Aseptic Packaging Container Recovery – A Review

Abstract

The composition of beverage cartons also called aseptic packaging materials is paper, polyethylene, and aluminum to provide the packaged products with long shelf life without refrigeration or adding preservatives. Various recovery processes in the chemical, thermochemical and repulping methods can be used to separate plastic, aluminum, and fiber material for reintroduction for manufacturing new products. Today, composite material is produced by shredding the packaging materials and selectively pressing them under heat and pressure into new products. Another method is the repulping method introduced by Tetra Pack. In many areas, these packaging materials are collected with regular recycling materials, and then these materials enter the recycling waste and paper recovery stream. To selectively recycle beverage containers and recover paper, polyethylene, and aluminum materials a recycling program needs to be in place that is able to provide enough materials that allow the installation of a complex and costly recovery process to utilize the material contained in the collected beverage containers.