The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently issued a No Objection Letter (NOL) for the polypropylene cap-to-cap recycling process utilizing the Starlinger recoSTAR dynamic recycling system.
This NOL specifically pertains to the manufacturing of beverage bottle caps under Conditions of Use C to H. Caps produced from 100% recycled post-consumer polypropylene through the Starlinger recycling system are now approved for hot fill applications, significantly enhancing food and drink packaging sustainability.
The approved machine configuration features a recoSTAR dynamic recycling extruder, enhanced with a C-VAC degassing module that ensures efficient degassing. Additionally, the inclusion of the PCUplus unit at the end of the recycling process ensures consistent odor reduction and complete removal of VOCs. These steps are crucial for the production of food-grade recyclates from post-consumer plastics, aligning with the goals of sustainable food and drink packaging.
“In the beverage industry, PP and HDPE are the materials mostly used for plastic bottle caps,” stated Paul Niedl, Commercial Head of Starlinger recycling technology. “We secured the FDA LNO for our HDPE bottle-to-bottle and cap-to-cap recycling processes in 2021. Now, we can effectively close the loop for beverage bottle caps made of polypropylene, allowing them to re-enter the recycling stream without downcycling.”
For more information, visit www.recycling.starlinger.com.