PET recycling tech gains approval from the European Union

A group of companies have received the nod they need to move ahead in processing food packaging.

The European Food Safety Authority has granted approval to four companies for their PET recycling tech.

The technology is meant to help to be able to recycle the plastic into food packaging.

The companies gained approval for the Erema and Starlinger PET recycling tech. That said, the European Food Safety Authority wasn’t just handing out its approvals for everything. Not every application received the hoped-for approval. For instance, the Veolia application was rejected at the same time that the others made it through.

Part of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes and Processing Aids (CEP) has issued five opinions on these types of processes over the last few months. Fortunately, this most recent wave has involved allowing some technologies moving forward in order to be able to use them.

The PET recycling tech required the approval to be able to produce food and beverage packaging.

In the European Union, the EFSA must first review recycled plastics and additives if for safety if they are to be used in food and beverage packaging. Companies intending to use the technologies must first submit applications to individual countries, which will then submit applications to the EFSA on behalf of those companies. All the recent applications were sent by the German Federal Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety on behalf of their respective companies.

The approved Starlinger deCON technology application was submitted on behalf of PolyER, a Russian company. It uses post-consumer PET, converting them into flakes to be used in thermoforms or bottles.

Versions of the approved Erema basic technology will be used by three companies which will recycle post-consumer PET for food-contact applications. The companies are RE-PET, STF Recycling and Buergofol.

The PET recycling tech that did not receive the approval was from Veolia PET Germany. That technology’s application was rejected on the grounds that the description was inadequately detailed about its process to demonstrate that the resulting plastic flakes would be safe for food and drink packaging.