# Experimental Tests on Solvent Solutions for the Recycling of Coated Polypropylene in Food Packaging
###### Abstract
A statistical survey conducted by Eurostat reports that 38% of the plastic waste produced from food packaging was recycled, and the remaining part was sent to landfill or dispersed in the environment [6]. Almost half of the plastic produced is used only once. As a result of high consumption and low recycling rates, plastic waste has led to increasingly serious pollution problems [7]. This includes the emission of powerful greenhouse gases (GHGs) such as methane during landfills [8], the emission of toxic chemicals (e.g., bisphenol A and polystyrene) [9], and the poisoning of marine species [10]. One way to address this problem is to develop various reuse and recycling techniques for these materials, such as recycling the material [11] and recovering raw materials [12] for energy production [13]. Improving the quality of recycled plastic products and extending their applications are also effective ways to promote recycling rates [14]. The European Parliament is paying great attention to this issue. An important tool for addressing the growing plastic waste crisis and promoting sustainable waste management practices is European legislation on plastic recycling, which aims to address the plastic waste crisis by promoting sustainable waste management practices, reducing the use of disposable plastics, promoting recycling, promoting the use of recycled plastics, and improving the management of plastic waste. In addition to the Single Use Plastics Directive, the EU adopted the Regulation (EU) 2019/1692 on product life-cycle information to promote the recycling and sustainability of plastic products. This regulation requires the manufacturers of plastic articles to provide information on the recycled content of their products in order to promote greater transparency and the use of recycled plastics. For this purpose, extended producer responsibility (EPR) systems have been established for the management of packaging waste, including plastics [15]. These systems require manufacturers of plastic products to recycle as much of the waste as possible from production processes. The processing waste produced during the industrial process can be regrouped and re-exported in proportion to virgin material. To do this, the recycled material must maintain good chemical and mechanical characteristics [16]. However, it should be considered that, in most cases, plastic films intended for food preservation are covered with a layer of lacquer and/or aluminum, which creates a barrier to water, oxygen, and light and also prevents the exchange of chemicals between plastic and food. The coupling of polymeric films to these substances makes it difficult, if not impossible, to recycle the coated plastics at the end of their life cycle [17,18]. The aim of this research is to analyze and develop technical methods to allow the recycling of coated food packaging polypropylene films using solvents for the removal of the lacquer and/or aluminum layer and thus allow the regranulation and re-extrusion of the treated material for the creation of new polypropylene films.