A newly published study aims to explore the barriers and possible solutions for increasing the use of recycled plastics in applications suitable for food contact. | StanislauV/Shutterstock

A consulting company’s research shows that contaminated additives in food packaging and the decline in recycling rates limit the growth of food-grade recycled resin production.

Stina Inc., formerly known as More Recycling, recently published "Assessment of the Status of Food Grade Recycled Resins in Canada and the United States." This report commissioned by the Canadian Environment and Climate Change Commission set out to explore the barriers and possible solutions for increasing the use of recycled plastics in applications suitable for food contact.

The report focuses on PET, HDPE and PP. It examines the current and potential sources, collection and processing capabilities, and current end uses of recycled materials suitable for food contact.

Stina completed 16 interviews with stakeholders in companies that produce or consume large amounts of food contact resins in North America.

Studies have found that the supply of recycled plastics that can be used in food contact applications is limited. Among the stakeholders interviewed, this was considered the “biggest challenge”.

"In Canada and the United States, the vast majority of plastic products and packaging produced and put on the market every year are not suitable for processing into food-grade PCR," the report found. 

The report found that three factors prevent packaging from being recycled into food contact applications. These include packages originally produced with resins that are not suitable for food contact, converters that use additives to make the packages unsuitable for food contact, or packaged products that immerse contaminants in the package.

Stina found that there are solutions to these challenges. These measures include improving the transparency of packaging chemicals, reducing the use of additives that make materials unsuitable for food contact, and more general recyclability measures, such as promoting recycling designs.

An interviewed processor told the researchers that “recycling design is essential to increase the amount of materials suitable for food contact applications” because “the way the packaging starts to be used will affect its subsequent use.”

The researchers also pointed out that improving the collection system dedicated to recycled plastics used in food contact will help meet supply challenges.

For example, some interviewees “recognized that in the United States and Canada, more deposit systems will significantly increase the recycling rate of bottles and provide recycling machines with high-quality materials that are easier to recycle. These materials are suitable for both food contact and For other demanding applications. Quality PCR," the report pointed out.

The study also explored the processing infrastructure for food contact recycled resins in North America. According to Stina reports, food contact RPET processing capacity accounted for approximately 60% of the total RPET processing capacity in 2019. For natural HDPE, food grade accounted for about 20% of the bottle processing capacity that year. Stina did not report the capacity of food contact PP, hoping to "protect the confidentiality of a small number of polypropylene recyclers."

The study found that the food contact resin processing sector has been constrained by the shortage of raw materials.

“All the recyclers interviewed stated that their ability to process more food-grade PCR is limited by the available supply,” Stina found. "Many people pointed out that if there are more guaranteed suppliers of recycled materials from the right source, they will expand their production capacity to meet the additional demand for food-grade PCR."

The stakeholders interviewed emphasized the importance of sourcing recycled resins that come into contact with food.

The report found: "It is important to understand what the bottles may come into contact with during use, collection, sorting and storage, and the recycling process must be considered."

The study also mentioned the importance of investing early before the supply gap gets worse.

The report pointed out: “As more policies, legislation and brand promises play a role to promote the use of PCR in PET bottles, there will be more supply pulls by 2030.” “In a tightly supplied market, RPET prices may be Will rise. There is an urgent need to invest in collection and processing infrastructure to increase the supply of bottles to be recycled and converted into PCR."

In addition to research on food contact resins, Stina also completed a broader annual survey of plastic recycling in North America, examining processing capabilities and infrastructure.

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