Aimplas project decontaminates plastic for regulatory compliance and consumer safety

Aimplas has launched a research initiative that aims to improve food contact plastic packaging recycling by developing new methods for cleaning and decontaminating.

The Deconwaste project — which started this week — is said to closely follow European Food Safety Authority guidelines to turn post-consumer waste into food safe recycled materials. Specifically, the project researches polyolefins, a hard-to-recycle type of material used in packaging.

Adrián Morales, lead researcher in Mechanical Recycling at Aimplas, says: “Polyolefins’ wide range of uses, the presence of multiple additives, and their chemical behavior make decontamination processes more complex and require specialized technologies.”

In addition, recycling processes do not distinguish between food and non-food packaging materials, making processing stages more complicated. 

“It is essential to research and develop new effective decontamination methods that address these challenges and ensure the safety of recycled materials for food contact use,” says Morales. 

“The initiative aims not only to comply with European regulations and directives but also to ensure consumer protection and trust in packaged food products.”

A collaborative approach

Aimplas notes that the research will be necessary for companies wishing to increase the recyclability of their products. 

The Deconwaste project involves collaboration with Aceto, SP Berner, as well as Picda and is funded by the Valencian Institute for Competitiveness and Innovation. 

Aimplas highlights that the project will allow companies to overcome the bottlenecks in polyolefin recycling and “enable the use of materials previously discarded in the manufacture of new packaging or other products intended for direct food contact.”

In addition to recycling research, Aimplas leads the Bioprocess project, which aims to develop flexible and compostable films for packaging in various sectors, including food, cosmetics, personal care, and cleaning products.