WRAP identifies “next big challenge” for food grade recycling

Stockport-based firm Axion Consulting has been commissioned to assess the commercial viability of recycling plastics such as food pots, food tubs and sauce bottles to a level that could be used in food-contact packaging.

WRAP claim that the research project could result in a “breakthrough” in the production of sustainable food grade packaging and mirror developments in the recycling of other polymer types, such as HDPE and PET.

Paul Davidson, special advisor on plastics at WRAP, said: “Developing a commercial process for food grade polypropylene is widely seen as the next big challenge for food grade recycling technology. WRAP recognises that the retailers, brand owners and packaging companies all want polypropylene to be available for food grade packaging.”

“With its many different grades and colours used in packaging, developing such a process will be demanding,” he added.

Food grade

Interest in using recycled plastic for food grade plastic packaging has increased over the past few years, with major infrastructure developments for HDPE and PET plastic streams being undertaken by companies such as Closed Loop London, J&A Young and AWS Eco Plastics (see letsrecycle.com story).

Polypropylene is regularly recycled into industry plastic applications such as buckets and pallets.
However, WRAP claims to date recycling polypropylene to the specifications required by the food industry “has not been possible”.

The study comes as part plans outlined by the government-funded research body in June 2008 to boost the recycling rate for ‘mixed plastics – such as polypropylene – which also include a proposed 40,000 tonnes-a-year capacity polypropylene recycling facility being operational by the end of 2011 (see letsrecycle.com story).

Study

Axion Consulting is set to perform the study in partnership with plastics recycling firm Greenstar WES, engineering and packaging company Fraunhofer IVV and Leatherhead-based Pira Consulting.

Roger Morton, director of Axion Consulting said: “This is a fascinating and technically challenging development project, which will involve us gaining a more in depth understanding of the issues associated with the feasibility of recycling polypropylene for food packaging.”

“The findings will help to identify what further technical requirements exist to developing a successful food grade recycling process for polypropylene and what recommendations need to be made to achieve this,” he added.

The study is scheduled to take place in late August 2009, with WRAP hopeful of having the results of the study available in the autumn.