How the Nordson BKG® HiCon™ K-SWE-HD/RS Helps Packaging Manufacturers Meet PPWR Recycled Content Requirements
PPWR Is Changing the Future of Plastic Packaging
The European Union's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) is setting a new standard for sustainable packaging. The regulation aims to reduce packaging waste, increase recyclability, and drive the adoption of recycled plastics across the packaging value chain. One of its key objectives is to increase recycled content in plastic packaging and reduce dependence on virgin fossil-based materials.
For film producers and packaging manufacturers, this creates both a challenge and an opportunity. While brand owners and regulators are demanding higher recycled-content levels, processors must still deliver consistent product quality, production efficiency, and profitability.
Successfully incorporating recycled materials into blown film production requires technologies that can overcome contamination, pressure instability, and quality fluctuations often associated with post-consumer and post-industrial recyclates.
Why Recycled Content Creates Processing Challenges
Recycled polyolefins frequently contain contaminants such as paper, aluminum, wood particles, gels, and degraded polymer fractions. These impurities can negatively affect extrusion stability and final film quality.
In blown film production, even small pressure variations can destabilize the film bubble, resulting in thickness variations, defects, downtime, or reduced output. Traditional screen changers may create pressure fluctuations during screen changes or cleaning cycles, making it difficult to maximize recycled content while maintaining quality standards.
As PPWR requirements continue to drive demand for higher recycled-content packaging, processors need filtration systems that can handle challenging recyclates without compromising performance.
The Role of the BKG® HiCon™ K-SWE-HD/RS
The BKG® HiCon™ K-SWE-HD/RS screen changer was specifically developed for blown film applications that use recycled materials. The continuous backflush melt filter enables processors to run high percentages of contaminated recyclates while maintaining exceptional process stability and product quality. According to Nordson, the system can support applications utilizing up to 100% recycled plastics in blown film production.
Its advanced design continuously removes contaminants without requiring production interruptions. During screen changes and backflush operations, one filtration cavity remains active, helping maintain a stable melt flow and protecting film quality.
For processors seeking to increase recycled content while minimizing operational risk, this capability is particularly valuable.
How the BKG® HiCon™ K-SWE-HD/RS Supports PPWR Compliance
- Enables Higher Recycled Content Levels
Meeting future recycled-content targets starts with the ability to process lower-quality feedstocks efficiently. The BKG® HiCon™ K-SWE-HD/RS effectively filters highly contaminated recyclates, allowing manufacturers to increase recycled-content percentages in packaging applications while maintaining consistent production conditions.
- Maintains Stable Film Quality
PPWR may increase the use of recycled polymers, but converters cannot compromise on product performance. The HiCon™ K-SWE-HD/RS is engineered to maintain extremely stable pressure conditions, even when processing difficult recycled materials. Its melt-pressure-controlled venting system prevents pressure drops during screen changes and helps preserve bubble stability and film quality.
- Reduces Downtime and Waste
Continuous operation is critical for profitability. The BKG HiCon K-SWE-HD/RS eliminates the need for line shutdowns during filtration and supports automated backflush cycles. This reduces scrap generation, minimizes downtime, and improves overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).
- Supports Circular Economy Objectives
The PPWR is designed to accelerate Europe's transition toward a circular packaging economy by increasing the use of recycled materials and improving resource efficiency. The HiCon™ K-SWE-HD/RS helps make recycled polymers suitable for demanding packaging applications, supporting closed-loop recycling strategies and reducing reliance on virgin resin.
Benefits for Packaging and Blown Film Producers
Packaging manufacturers using the BKG® HiCon™ K-SWE-HD/RS can benefit from:
- Higher utilization of post-consumer and post-industrial recyclates.
- Stable melt pressure and improved bubble control.
- Continuous production without interruptions also during a screen change process.
- Reduced filtration media consumption through backflush technology.
- Increased production uptime and profitability by using continuous processes.
- Improved readiness for future PPWR requirements.
Future-Proofing Packaging Production for PPWR
The packaging industry is entering a new era where recycled-content performance will become a key competitive differentiator. Manufacturers that can efficiently process highly contaminated recycled with recyclates materials while delivering consistent product quality which meet customer expectations and regulatory requirements.
The BKG® HiCon™ K-SWE-HD/RS enables processors to bridge the gap between sustainability goals and operational performance. By delivering continuous filtration, pressure stability, and reliable contaminant removal, it helps transform recycled plastics into high-quality packaging materials suitable for the circular economy envisioned by the PPWR.
Expanding Recycling Performance Across the Entire Extrusion Line
While the BKG® HiCon™ K-SWE-HD/RS plays a critical role in enabling the use of higher recycled-content levels, packaging manufacturers can further optimize process stability and product quality by integrating additional Nordson Polymer Processing Systems solutions. BKG® melt pumps provide highly consistent melt delivery and pressure stabilization, helping improve gauge control and overall process efficiency when running variable recycled materials. Nordson EDI® blown film and cast film dies are designed to deliver uniform melt distribution, supporting excellent film thickness consistency and product quality. Depending on contamination levels and application requirements, processors can also benefit from other BKG® filtration technologies, including continuous and continuous-backflush screen changers that offer tailored filtration solutions for a wide range of recycled polymer streams. Together, these technologies create an integrated extrusion system that helps converters maximize recycled-content utilization, improve operational efficiency, and confidently meet both current and future PPWR requirements.