rFlex®

Close the Loop on Soft Plastics with rFlex®

It is estimated that over 400M tonnes of plastic is put into the global market every year, with the global outlook showing that over 30M tonnes of plastic waste are polluting oceans. Not only is this bad for the environment, it is a monumental waste of valuable resources that can have a new life.
Post-consumer soft plastic packaging are some of the most challenging plastics to recycle through traditional methods, which has led to the majority of these materials going to landfill or disposed of incorrectly where they leach into our environment and waterways.
Close the Loop divert these materials from landfill through stewardship programs, circular contracts, and bespoke take-back systems, before then recycling and reusing these materials in-house to manufacture new high-performance products.

rFlex® is a recycled plastic material developed by Close the Loop (CtL) which can be supplied to manufacturers of plastic items such as pallets, crates, trolleys, baskets and tubs. Any plastic products that are injection, rotational or extrusion moulded can utilise rFlex®.
rFlex® is made from predominantly soft plastic packaging, sourced from a mix of post- consumer and pre-consumer soft plastics. Packaging films, pouches, bags, shrink wrap, and even bubble wrap can be used to make rFlex®, which is supplied to end users in pellet form in bags of 700kg or 1000kg.
Close the Loop work to tailor rFlex® to adhere to specific manufacturer requirements, in order to gain equal performance compared to the virgin plastic it replaces.

Close the Loop manufacturers rFlex® as a part of their Zero Waste to Landfill Brand Promise- none of the conforming items that Close the Loop accept through any of their collection programs (including cartridge recycling , cosmetics recycling, and soft plastics recycling) are sent to landfill.

ADDITIONAL KEY SELLING FEATURES

“The only way we’ll build resilient supply chains is for everyone from consumers, brands, transport, manufacturers and industry to put aside our bias toward recycled plastics and understand that if we want to reach global greenhouse emissions targets or National Waste Policy targets, we need to replace virgin plastic with recycled plastic as a priority.”
Steve Morriss, Head of Circularity at Close the Loop

What makes rFlex® a game changer?

Transformation of Challenging Soft Plastics
rFlex® utilises mixed post-consumer and post-industrial soft plastics that have no other home. This waste stream is challenging due to its diverse range of plastic types and contamination from organic materials, multi-layered materials, inks, and adhesives. rFlex®  give these “unwanted” materials a new life.

Innovative Recycling Process
rFlex®  incorporates a groundbreaking process to transform mixed plastic waste into a valuable resource. The recycling process perfected by CtL enables the conversion of challenging materials into a high-quality, 100% recycled content plastic for remoulding, demonstrating the second pillar of circularity, keep materials in circulation for longer.

Versatile Applications in Manufacturing
As Close the Loop can formulate the characteristics of rFlex® during it’s production  to suit a manufacturer’s needs, it is suitable for a wide range of manufacturing applications. The material’s high performance allows for the production of a more sustainable alternative without compromising quality or functionality.

Advancing Circular Economy Practices
rFlex®  transforms challenging plastic waste into a valuable resource, diverting it from landfill. Furthermore, rFlex® reduces the demand for new virgin plastic, lowering the overall carbon footprint of a product. Our innovative rFlex® approach aligns with circular economy principles, minimising the environmental impact of complex plastic waste streams.

Close the Loop collaborated with Coles and ISP in Melbourne to create a fleet of Supercart shopping trolleys using 20% rFlex®. The shopping trolleys are featured in a number of Coles stores as part of their Together to Zero sustainability initiatives.

Still have questions? Check out our FAQs page here.