CEP Approves Innovative Technologies to Recycle Post-Consumer PET Bottles

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster):  The Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes and Processing Aids (CEP) under the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has approved two latest technologies to recycle post-consumer PET bottles into new packaging products. The semi-annual report published recently noted that CEP has given approval for using Starlinger and EREMA technologies.

The Starlinger’s deCON technology feeds washed and dried PET flakes into a batch reactor, where they are pre-heated and sent to a solid-state polycondensation (SSP) reactor, which boosts the intrinsic viscosity of the plastic and decontaminates the flakes. The recycled plastics from the process could be used for creation of PCR food packaging and beverage containers. A large number of companies have already indicated plans to use Starlinger deCON technology in their manufacturing process.

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The EREMA technology feeds hot caustic washed and dried PET flakes into a reactor, where they are mixed under high temperature and a vacuum. The flakes are then dropped into an extruder machine, where they are melted at atmospheric pressure. The melt is converted into sheets, after filtering out residual particles. CEP has granted permission to a Spanish firm to use the above technology to produce rPET in sheets for thermoforming.