Nearly two dozen plastics recycling processes received a federal greenlight for food and drink applications in the first half of 2024.
Letters of no objection issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration allow their recipients to begin marketing their recycled resin for use in food and drink packaging, subject to any limitations spelled out by the FDA.
In issuing the letters, the FDA was convinced the recycling processes would result in contaminant concentrations of 0.5 parts per billion or less in the food, below its “threshold of regulatory concern.”
During the first part of the year, the FDA awarded 27 letters to 21 companies in North America, Asia and Europe, all of them covering mechanical recycling processes except for Alpek, which also received a letter for a chemical recycling process.
Plastics Recycling Update publishes a roundup of LNOs twice each year. The last roundup, which was published in April 2024, covered letters issued during the second half of 2023. The federal database of all FDA LNOs is available here.
The following are summaries of LNOs issued during the first half of 2024, starting with the most recent letters:
On June 24, Kreyenborg GmbH & Co. KG received an LNO for recycling PET into packaging in contact with all food types, with allowed temperatures from frozen up to greater than 150 degrees during hot filling or pasteurization.
On June 7, PureCycle Technologies received a letter approving recycling PP into packaging that’s in contact with all food types at temperatures from ready-made frozen or refrigerated to high-temperature heat-sterilized, which is over 212 degrees Fahrenheit.
Erema on June 3 received an LNO covering recycling PET into packaging that’s in contact with all food types at temperatures from ready-made frozen or refrigerated to high-temperature heat sterilized, which is over 212 degrees Fahrenheit, as well as cooking at temperatures that exceed 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
On May 23, Neev Resources received an LNO for recycling PET into packaging in contact with dry foods, such as raw fruits, vegetables and shell eggs, at temperatures from frozen up to room temperature, provided the feedstock comes from food-contact articles.
On May 22, Alpek and its stewarded affiliates around the world got an LNO for chemically recycling PET into packaging in contact with all food types under conditions of use for which PET is otherwise authorized. On April 11, it also received an LNO for recycling PET into packaging for all food types at temperatures from ready-prepared frozen or refrigerated up to greater than 150 degrees during hot filling or pasteurization.
On May 10, Anova Americas International received an LNO for recycling PET into single-layer trays, containers, crates and clamshells intended to contact dry foods, such as raw fruits, vegetables and shell eggs at temperatures from frozen up to room temperature. It also covers packaging intended for use with dry dietary supplements, grocery bags and secondary and tertiary packaging films for use with all food types at temperatures from frozen up to room temperature and non-food-contact layers in multilayer packaging intended for contact with all food types under all conditions of use, as long as the RPET is separated from food by an “effective barrier.”
Nova Chemicals on May 8 received a letter covering recycling LLDPE into packaging for all food types at temperatures from ready-prepared frozen or refrigerated up to boiling-water-sterilized, provided the feedstock is sourced from reclaimed LLDPE stretch films, and for LDPE intended for contact with dry foods, such as raw fruits, vegetables and shell eggs, at temperatures from frozen up to room temperature, provided the feedstock is sourced from reclaimed LDPE non-stretch film and some LLDPE stretch film.
On May 8, Aceretech received an LNO for recycling PET into packaging that comes into contact with dry solids with the surface containing no free fat or oil at temperatures from frozen up to room temperature. On the same day, Aceretech also received an LNO for PET packaging that comes into contact with all food types at temperatures from ready-prepared frozen or refrigerated up to greater than 150 degrees during hot filling or pasteurization.
PoonTong Fiber on April 12 received an LNO to recycle PET into packaging that comes into contact with dry foods, such as raw fruits, vegetables and shell eggs, at temperatures from frozen up to room temperature.
On April 3, Unifi Manufacturing received an LNO covering recycling PET into packaging for all food types at temperatures from ready-prepared frozen or refrigerated up to greater than 150 degrees during hot filling or pasteurization.
On March 29, Versalis was issued an LNO for recycling PS into packaging for all food types with allowed temperatures from frozen up to greater than 150 degrees during hot filling or pasteurization.
On March 27, Gneuss Kunststofftechnik received an LNO for recycling HDPE into caps for beverage bottles in contact with all food types, with allowed temperatures from frozen up to greater than 150 degrees during hot filling or pasteurization.
The company also received an LNO on March 14 for recycling PET into packaging that comes into contact with all food types with allowed temperatures from frozen up to greater than 150 degrees during hot filling or pasteurization, as well as an LNO on Feb. 13 for recycling PS into packaging in contact with all food types at temperatures from frozen up to room temperature, provided the feedstock comes from PS food contact articles.
Pashupati Group of Industries on March 5 was issued an LNO covering recycling PP into single-layer trays, containers, crates and clamshells intended to contact raw fruits, vegetables and shell eggs at temperatures from frozen up to room temperature; for packaging intended for use with dry dietary supplements, grocery bags and secondary and tertiary packaging films intended to be used with all food types at temperatures from frozen up to room temperature; and for non-food-contact layers in multilayer packaging intended to be used with all food types under all conditions, provided that the recycled PP is separated from food by an “effective barrier.”
The company received another LNO on the same day for PET packaging that contacts all food types at temperatures from ready-prepared frozen or refrigerated up to greater than 150 degrees during hot filling or pasteurization, provided the feedstock comes from food-contact applications.
Also on March 5, Ultra-Poly Corporation received an LNO for recycling PP into injection-molded packaging in contact with dry solids, with the surface containing no free fat or oil, at temperatures from frozen up to room temperature.
On Feb. 23, Shanghai SmartLoop Industrial Co. received an LNO for recycling HDPE or PP into single-layer trays, containers, crates and clamshells intended to contact raw fruits, vegetables and shell eggs at temperatures from frozen up to room temperature; packaging intended for use with dry dietary supplements; and grocery bags and secondary and tertiary packaging films intended to be used with all food types at temperatures from frozen up to room temperature and as a non-food-contact layer in multilayer packaging intended to be used with all food types under conditions of use, as long as the recycled HDPE or recycled PP are separated from food by an “effective barrier.”
On Feb. 14, PT Production Indonesia received an LNO for recycling PET into packaging that comes into contact with dry food, such as raw fruits, vegetables and shell eggs, at temperatures from frozen up to room temperature.
Also on Feb. 14, DIC Corporation received an LNO for recycling PS into trays for holding refrigerated foods and into non-food-contact layers in multilayer packaging, provided that the recycled PS is separated from food by a layer of virgin PS with a thickness of at least 0.5 millimeters, and providing that the feedstock comes from thermoformed, foamed PS printed trays from food applications.
On Feb. 5, Borealis Polypropylene received an LNO covering recycling PP into packaging containing up to 10% recycled content that comes into contact with moist bakery products and dry solids surfaces with or without free fat or oil at temperatures from frozen up to room temperature, as well as packaging containing up to 100% recycled content in contact with dry solids with the surface containing no free fat or oil at temperatures from frozen up to room temperature.
In addition, the company on Jan. 24 received another LNO covering recycling HDPE in packaging containing up to 10% recycled content in contact with moist bakery products and dry solids with surfaces with or without free fat or oil at temperatures from frozen to room temperature, and packaging containing up to 100% recycled content in contact with dry solids with the surface containing no free fat or oil at temperatures from frozen up to room temperature.
Guangdong Rhino New Technology Co. on Jan. 26 received an LNO covering recycling PP into packaging that comes into contact with dry solids with the surface containing no free fat or oil at temperatures from frozen up to room temperature.
Also on Jan. 26, Yuan Tsun Plastic Co received an LNO for recycling PP into the following applications with up to 25% recycled content: single layer trays, containers, crates and clamshells intended to contact raw fruits, vegetables and shell eggs at temperatures from frozen up to room temperature; rigid packaging intended for use with dry dietary supplements at temperatures from frozen up to room temperature; and non-food-contact layers in multilayer packaging intended to be used with all food types under all conditions of use, provided that the recycled PP is separated from food by an “effective barrier.”
Finally, on Jan. 10, Circulus Holdings received a LNO for recycling LDPE into the following applications up to 5% recycled content: packaging that comes into contact with nonacid, aqueous products that may contain salt or sugar or both at a pH above 5.0; acid, aqueous products that may contain salt or sugar or both, including oil-in-water emulsions of low- or high-fat content; dairy products and modifications of oil-in-water emulsions, high- or low-fat; and moist bakery products with surfaces containing no free fat or oil, all at allowed temperatures from frozen up to greater than 150 degrees during hot filling or pasteurization.
