Germany-based Coperion has received a Letter of No Objection (LNO) from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polypropylene (PP) recycling technology.
The letter confirms that the combination of Coperion twin screw extruders and EcoFresh silo degassing used in the manufacture of rHDPE and rPP fulfills the requirements for direct contact with food.
Coperion is the first provider of complete decontamination systems featuring twin screw extruders and EcoFresh silo degassing to offer the market a highly efficient solution for the production of food-grade recyclates, covering capacities from small throughputs up to 6,000 kg/h.
Coperion achieves the level of decontamination of rHDPE and rPP required for the LNO through the interplay of these two proven technologies. The quality of this solution was validated in a challenge test and confirmed by the FDA. 
This opens up new possibilities for the recycling of food packaging.For example, food-grade regranulate can be produced from HDPE milk jugs or fruit juice bottles and then reused to manufacture similar bottles or related products. Food containers, cups, bowls and trays made of PP can be recycled into new packaging for direct contact with food. 
Manufacturing food-safe recyclates is one of the greatest challenges in plastics recycling. Such regranulates must be certified as suitable for direct contact with food, fulfilling the highest requirements for purity and safety.
“The FDA’s LNO means that rHDPE and rPP manufactured with our technologies can be used for new food packaging in proportions up to 100 per cent,” said Stefan Lachenmayer, global commercial director recycling at Coperion.
“As a result, we provide recyclers the assurance that our energy-efficient mechanical recycling process manufactures high-quality recyclate for use cases A-H. These include, for example, packaging for high-temperature, heat-sterilized, pasteurised or frozen products.”