ALPLA Group (Hard, Austria) is now evaluating a patented solvent-based process for food-safe HDPE recycled material at a pilot plant in Heerenveen, the Netherlands in collaboration with the independent technological institute NTCP. The innovation project, which is funded by the Dutch Ministry of Climate Policy and Green Growth, will run for four years. Just in time for the start of the PPWR 2030, the solution will be scaled up to industrial production.
From 2030, packaging in the EU must contain a minimum proportion of recycled material. ALPLA and NTCP are working on a future-proof and affordable solution for plastic food packaging. The patented recycling technology is expected to deliver food-safe HDPE recycled material (rHDPE) on an industrial scale for the first time. Following several years of R&D with successful laboratory results, the two project partners have just started evaluating the solvent-based process at the NTCP site in Heerenveen.
Intensive testing of all process steps of the patented technology will be performed as part of a collaborative innovation project. The aim is to obtain approval from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in the near future. The construction and operation of the pilot plant will provide valuable insights for scaling up the process. ALPLA has set up its own recycling company in the Netherlands for this purpose.
The NTCP site in Heerenveen, the Netherlands. (Photo source: NTCP)
“To date, there is no certified process in the EU for the production of food-grade HDPE recycled material. Our highly efficient technology for cleaning and processing post-consumer recycled material could be a real game changer,” explains Michael Heyde, Head of Technology Recycling Division at ALPLA. The company already produces PET and HDPE recycled material in its own recycling division at 14 locations worldwide, with 400 000 tonnes installed and projected recycling output capacity. ALPLA processes most of this material itself into packaging. The future industrialisation of this innovative technology should enable readily available food packaging made from rHDPE for the FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) market.
“This cooperation with ALPLA fits perfectly to the core activities and mission of NTCP as an independent knowledge institute, to facilitate and accelerate technology developments with frontrunner parties. We believe that new technologies are needed to completely close the plastics value chain while reducing the amount of waste,” emphasises Martine Brandsma, NTCP’s CEO.
The pilot project is being carried out with the support of the Dutch Ministry of Climate Policy and Green Growth.