Metallized Polyethylene & the Circular Economy
High-barrier, recyclable metallized polyethylene films such as Celplast's DURAMET line let all-PE pouches overcome their stiffness, speed and barrier limitations while entering the circular economy.
Metallized polyethylene is entering the circular economy with high-barrier, recyclable films that compete with traditional packaging structures. The all-PE pouch offers advantages including strong seals, acceptance in North America's How2Recycle® Store Drop-Off program, and recognition as a mono-material structure by Recyclass in Europe.
However, all-PE pouches have limitations: low stiffness, slow fill speeds, and poor barrier properties.
Solution: DURAMET® Films
Celplast's DURAMET® line of top-coated metallized PE sealant films addresses these constraints. Available in 38 and 50 micron versions, these films provide:
- Good stiffness
- Improved fill speeds through low HSIT
- Excellent barrier performance
Two-ply all-PE pouch structures using DURAMET® can replace traditional three-ply barrier pouches while maintaining similar protective properties.
How It Works
The DURAMET® sealant combines a high-stiffness web with inherent barrier performance and Celplast's Metacoat® in-line metallizing and top-coating technology. Testing demonstrated that 100% metallized DURAMET® PE film can be reprocessed into pellets and re-extruded successfully.
Circular Economy Reality
Organizations including CEFLEX, Materials Recovery for the Future, and the Sustainable Packaging Coalition are advancing commercial sorting and reprocessing of metallized film pouches. A metallized PE pouch recently achieved RecyClass standards for EU PE film recycling streams, supporting brand commitments to fully recyclable, compostable, or reusable packaging by 2025.