The “BeFORE” project seeks to provide practical insights into the industry shift from traditional multi-material structures toward mono-material packaging designs, delivering essential product protection and compliance with the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR)
Masterpress, a European provider of high-quality label and packaging solutions, is strengthening its role in the transition toward fully recyclable packaging through active participation in BeFORE – Barrier for Recycling, an EU-funded research initiative under the 37th CORNET programme.
The BeFORE consortium brings together partners from Belgium, Germany and Poland, including industrial manufacturers, research institutions and packaging value-chain organizations. Masterpress participates in the project through Natureef, a Polish association bringing together companies from the packaging, food production and recycling sectors under joint research projects.
“BeFORE [project] is a natural extension of our company’s long-term commitment to helping brands transition toward truly circular packaging solutions,” said Gabriel Magdaleno, Strategic Product Development & Marketing Director at Masterpress. “In the context of the EU PPWR, BeFORE positions us to help brands navigate the regulation’s implementation phase by ensuring that flexible high-barrier packaging can be recyclable and, at the same time, deliver reliable product protection.”
Addressing a European Challenge: High-Barrier Packaging
High-barrier plastic and paper packaging play a critical role in protecting sensitive products, such as food, cosmetics and personal-care items, by safeguarding against oxygen, moisture, fats, oils and other environmental factors. Traditionally, many of these structures rely on complex multi-material combinations that cannot be recycled in today’s widely used mechanical recycling systems.
As the industry undergoes a shift toward mono-material packaging designs, these recyclable structures must deliver essential barrier performance. BeFORE responds to this need by studying the real-world performance of innovative materials and thin functional barrier layers, which can be more vulnerable to damage during filling, sealing, folding, thermoforming and handling.
“High-barrier flexible packaging has historically been difficult to recycle, but this project demonstrates how collaborative R&D, connecting science, industry and legislation, can accelerate real change,” said Jakub Pędziński, Pouches Business Development Leader at Masterpress. “By testing our single-layer pouch within this international consortium, we are contributing to innovations that keep materials in the loop and support Europe’s transition toward sustainable packaging.”
Testing Masterpress’s Single-Layer PE Stand-Up Pouch
As part of BeFORE’s work on high-barrier, co-extruded polyethylene (PE) stand-up pouches, Masterpress contributes one of the project’s key plastic case studies: the company’s single-layer, non-laminated stand-up pouch for liquid soap.
Unlike traditional laminated pouches, which use several different materials and cannot be recycled in standard PE recycling streams, Masterpress’s pouch is made from a single mono-material PE/EVOH structure. It is engineered to sort correctly in recycling facilities and work within existing PE recycling systems.
As part of the BeFORE project, the pouch is being tested in several key areas, including:
– Barrier performance, to ensure the contents remain protected
– Strength and shelf-life behavior, especially for liquid soap formulations
– Safety and migration assessments, in line with regulatory requirements
– Performance on automated filling and packaging lines
– Recyclability, evaluated according to international recyclability guidelines.
The project’s findings will feed into broader industry guidance, including the development of a comprehensive White Paper, best practices for design-for-recycling, and case-study evaluations across multiple material categories (paper, plastic, and hybrid structures).
PPWR Compliance at the Forefront
BeFORE also explores compliance with the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). BeFORE’s scientific evaluations, covering functional performance, sortability, recyclability and safety, seek to support industry readiness for upcoming mandatory requirements. High-barrier materials for food, cosmetics and personal-care products are central to this challenge, as functional performance must be balanced with recyclability and compliance with evolving legislation.
Masterpress’s involvement provides practical insights into how innovative PE structures can meet recyclability-by-design expectations while ensuring reliable performance for sensitive products.
The project runs from 1 March 2025 to 28 February 2027 and is co-financed by Poland’s National Centre for Research and Development, with a total budget of 1,560,693.79 PLN, including 1,469,385.38 PLN in co-funding.
