Photo caption: Starlinger’s eqoCLEAN melt filter at the tape extrusion line ensures the purity of the melt required to produce high-quality tape fabric with recycled PP. © Starlinger
With the European Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) applying as of August 12, 2026, manufacturers, importers, distributors, and other businesses placing big bags or products packaged in big bags on the EU market need to prepare for the requirements set out in the regulation.
Recyclability and inclusion of recycled materials in plastic packaging are two main points outlined in the EU’s PPWR that aim to make packaging more environmentally friendly and reduce packaging waste. In the area of woven plastic packaging for dry bulk goods, Austrian machinery manufacturer Starlinger provides packaging concepts and production technology to establish closed product loops for big bags (also called FIBC — Flexible Intermediate Bulk Containers) and other woven polypropylene sacks.
To make big bags recyclable, the bag construction must follow “Design for Recycling” principles. Most big bags feature a heavy-duty PP fabric body, PP lifting straps, and PP or polyester thread and thus are composed largely of one single material. If inliners are used for protection against humidity, they are usually made of HDPE or LLDPE films, while polyester might be used for straps, sewing threads and reinforcing components. When the bag design avoids mixing too many different materials, additives, and heavy decorative printing, and includes easy-to-remove labels and inliners, big bags are relatively easy to recycle.
As of January 2030 the statutory target of 35 % recycled content also applies for FIBCs classified in the category “Other plastic packaging”. In this case it is important that the recycled material performs at the same level as virgin material. Big bags are real heavy-duty champions with a remarkable packaging-to-weight ratio: A bag weighing only 1.5 kg can carry up to 1,500 kg of product. They are a versatile and widely used type of packaging for dry bulk goods and essential in industries ranging from agriculture to construction.
Starlinger’s state-of-the-art tape extrusion and weaving technology makes it possible to include high shares of recycled content in big bags made of polypropylene, or to produce big bags made entirely of recycled PET. Special technological features such as the so-called SPB filter for tape extrusion allow to produce high-strength tapes with recycled polypropylene. It ensures a stable extrusion process with thoroughly cleaned melt for producing tapes from rPP that fulfil all the requirements regarding tenacity, elongation and strength that are necessary to ensure the safe handling of a big bag.
Container fabric produced with recycled polypropylene on Starlinger machines meets the demanding quality specifications for FIBC production. © Starlinger
Big bag to big bag — 100 % recycled
Another alternative for the big bag sector is big bag fabric made entirely of recycled PET. Besides its high strength and dimensional stability, which makes PET fabric perfect for heavy-duty applications, PET can be recycled and refined so that its properties are the same as those of virgin material. With a method called solid-state polycondensation (SSP), the molecular weight of recycled PET can be restored to its original level, thereby yielding material that is literally ‘as good as new’. Based on years of research and trials, Starlinger has developed tape extrusion and circular weaving technology to produce container fabric for big bags made from 100 % recycled PET — similar to bottle-to-bottle applications. This means that with PET, the recycled content of an FIBC can even be up to 100 %. FIBCs produced from 100 % rPET on Starlinger equipment meet all the required safety criteria and do not differ from conventional FIBCs regarding construction and handling. Due to their high tensile strength and creep modulus, PET FIBCs are perfect for long-term storage or for packaging dry bulk goods with high flow characteristics and thus provide an economical alternative to IBCs (Intermediate Bulk Containers) made from rigid plastics, metal or cardboard.
About Starlinger & Co Ges.m.b.H.
Starlinger is an Austrian machine manufacturing company based in Vienna with production sites in Weissenbach and St. Martin, as well as in Schwerin, Germany and Taicang, China. As the world's leading supplier of machines and complete systems for the production of woven plastic bags, as well as systems for plastics recycling, PET extrusion and finishing, the Starlinger brand is synonymous with quality and technological leadership in more than 130 countries. Founded in 1835, the family-owned company has been exporting its products around the world for more than 50 years and achieves an export quota of over 99.5%. The company has its own sales and service centres in Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia, South Africa, Thailand, the United States and Uzbekistan, each of them guaranteeing swift and professional technical service.
Starlinger is a participant of the United Nations Global Compact, the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative, and adheres to the principles for responsible business set out therein.