By reducing odor downstream of the extrusion process, these technologies enable post-consumer HDPE recycling products to be produced with up to 100% recycled plastic confirmed by the U.S. FDA for direct contact with food and beverages.
The technologies were judged as a major step toward eliminating odor from waste plastics, replacing virgin plastics in high-value CPG and food packaging. By the end of 2021, EREMA customers will have produced 450,000 tons of high-quality, odor-optimized regranulate per year.
This recycling process is seen as a key technology to recycle HDPE food packaging into recyclate to be reused in high-quality packaging for cosmetic products or for food. “We are very pleased about this award because it is a visible proof of the company’s innovation capacity and the outstanding quality of the awarded recycling system”, says Michael Heitzinger, Managing Director EREMA GmbH.
The INTAREMA® TVEplus® RegrindPro® + ReFresher recycling process was also certified by the FDA in August 2019 as suitable for the production of milk and juice bottles, as well as meat trays, disposable tableware, and cutlery, provided the input material comes from milk and juice bottles. In November 2020, the FDA confirmed an additional input stream, and more application uses for the recyclate treated using this process. In addition to all HDPE beverage containers, HDPE closures of HDPE, PP, and PET beverage bottles can also be processed. Material containing up to 100 percent recyclate can be used in the production of containers for direct contact with food of all kinds.