POLYPROPYLENE FILMS EMPLOYING RECYCLED COMMERCIALLY USED POLYPROPYLENE BASED FILMS AND LABELS
A multilayer film includes a core layer having recycled, commercially used plastic therein and opposed skin layers, at least one of said opposed skin layers including a whitening agent or other pigmenting agent therein to mask any undesired coloration created by the recycled plastic. Laminations employing the above multilayer film also form part of this invention. A method of this invention for making a multilayer film including a core layer with recycled plastic therein includes the steps of: separating a plastic film or label from a package of commercial product; pelletizing the plastic film or label into pellets for introduction into an extruder of a film forming device and introducing the pelletized plastic film or label into said extruder for introducing the recycled plastic film or label pellets into a core layer of a multilayer film.
1 . A multilayer film includes a core layer having recycled, commercially used plastic therein and opposed skin layers, at least one of said opposed skin layers including a whitening agent or other pigmenting agent therein to mask any undesired coloration created by the recycled plastic.
2 . The multilayer film of claim 1 , including three or more layers produced with coextrusion, extrusion coating, coating or metallization.
3 . A single multilayer film or laminations of films with one or more films containing recycled oriented polypropylene films.
4 . The multilayer film of claim 1 , wherein the recycled plastic is plastic label stock including printing inks therein.
5 . The multilayer film of claim 4 , wherein the recycled plastic label stock is predominantly polypropylene.
6 . The multilayer film of claim 1 , wherein said film is predominantly polypropylene.
7 . The multilayer film of claim 1 , wherein outer, visible skin layers include a whitening agent or other pigmenting agent therein.
8 . A method of making a multilayer film including a core layer with recycled plastic therein, said method including the steps of:
a. separating a plastic film or label from a package or commercial product;
b. pelletizing the plastic film or label into pellets for introduction into an extruder of a film forming device;
c. introducing the pelletized plastic film or label into said extruder for introducing the recycled plastic film or label pellets into a core layer of a multilayer film.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the step of pelletizing the plastic film or label takes place at the facility including the extruder.
10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the step of pelletizing the plastic film or label takes place at a location remote from the extruder, including the additional step of transporting said pellets to the facility including the extruder.
11 . The method of claim 8 , wherein said package is a PET bottle, further including the step of recycling the PET of the bottle for use in other plastic products
12 . A lamination of plastics films comprising two or more films, one of said films being the multilayer film of claim 1 and another of said films comprising a commercial plastic film.
13 . The multilayer film of claim 1 , wherein said film is an opaque film including a voiding agent in the core layer and a white pigment additive in one or more outer layers.
14 . The multilayer film of claim 13 where the voiding agent in the core layer is calcium carbonate or polybutylene terephthalate and the outer layer whitening agent is titanium dioxide.
15 . The multilayer film of claim 1 , wherein said commercially used, recycled plastic is recycled flexible packaging or label stock.
16 . The multilayer film of claim 15 where the recycled flexible packaging or label stock utilized a vacuum vent extruder and/or contains a processing aid such as calcium oxide.
17 . The process of claim 8 wherein the step of palletizing the recycled flexible packaging or label stock includes the step of utilizing a vacuum vent extruder.
18 . The process of claim 8 wherein the step of palletizing the recycled flexible packaging or label stock includes the step of utilizing a processing aid.
19 . The process of claim 18 , wherein the processing aid includes calcium oxide.