Pact Group launches food-grade recycled resin and gains FDA approval

Pact Group’s rFresh 100 resin, made from recycled milk and juice bottles, has passed US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) safety requirements for HDPE food and drink packaging. The new resin will be used to make milk, cream, sauce, juice bottles, and personal care containers throughout Australia. 

The rFresh 100 resin is produced at the Circular Plastic Australia (CPA) recycling plant in Laverton, Australia. Plastic milk and juice bottles are collected from curbside recycling bins, sorted, shredded, washed, and decontaminated before conversion into resin.

Shareef Khan, executive general manager for Recycling at Pact Group, highlights that the milk bottles were tested in international facilities. 

“We are extremely aware of our dairy customers’ stringent focus on food safety and want to ensure we can provide the highest standard product possible. Being US-FDA compliant means that new milk and juice bottles can be manufactured from up to fully recycled rFresh 100 resin.”

Recycled plastic promise

The CPA facility conducts on-site resin testing to ensure the recycled resin complies with FDA regulations. It can recycle up to 20,000 metric tons of HDPE milk, dairy, and juice bottles annually. 

“Plastic packaging that is designed effectively, made with recycled material, that is recyclable and recycled properly, can stay in the circular economy almost indefinitely,” says Khan. 

He adds that studies have indicated that recycled plastic in packaging can help lower carbon emissions by reducing the incorporation of virgin resins, while recycling also diverts plastic waste from landfills. 

Ineos Olefins and Polymers Europe recently began sourcing pyrolysis oil from recycled plastic waste to produce virgin-quality polymers at its Lavera, France, facility. Meanwhile, Mondelēz International’s Cadbury launched its sharing bars in recycled plastic.