Applications of Recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate in Food Packaging

1 Applications of Recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate in Food Packaging 

Due to the influence of environmental considerations, plastics recycling is a growing economic activity. The need to open up new channels for discarded packaging has stimulated the recycling of plastics to produce new packaging materials. Such technical processes are being developed for the most widely used polymers polyolefins, polystyrene (PS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and PET. 

It should be underlined that food safety is the most significant consideration in the use of recycled plastics in food contact applications. Regulatory requirements have been a major factor in controlling the development of recycling processes which can demonstrate the production of recycled plastics suitable for food contact applications. Without such regulations, it is not possible to gain approval or nonobjection for any process that recycles PET back into food contact applications. 

In the USA, the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) has three main safety concerns associated with the use of recycled plastics in food contact applications  

Transfer of adventitious contamination from the recyclate to the foodstuff, 

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