TotalEnergies supports Nextloopp initiative to strengthen food-grade PP circular economy

09 Jan 2023 --- TotalEnergies has joined the Nextloopp initiative to accelerate the feasibility of advanced mechanical recycling projects targeting food contact and further expand its recently launched RE:use polymers range, which contains mechanically recycled raw materials. 

Nextloopp, launched in 2020, now consists of 48 companies from the plastics value chain and aims to bring food-grade recycled polymer from advanced mechanical recycling to the market. 

Founded by Nextek, the initiative is deploying new technology to cost-effectively sort (FGrPP) from post-consumer material and then decontaminate the polymer to comply with stringent food-grade standards. 

TotalEnergies says it is committed to developing a circular economy for plastics and meeting the growing customer demand for high-quality recycled polymers. The company’s recent launch of three low-carbon polymers, branded RE:use, RE:build and RE:newable, is based on polymers from recycled material or bio-feedstock.

“We are delighted to join and support the Nextloopp project alongside other major industry players,” says Nathalie Brunelle, vice president of polymers at TotalEnergies. “This initiative will allow us to go one step further in developing technologies to produce food-grade recycled material from advanced mechanical recycling and broaden our options for projects that contribute to our ambition to produce 30% circular polymers by 2030.”The Nextloopp initiative aims to make rPP more available for the F&B market.

Nextloopp’s advance 
Nextloopp recently completed a landmark study of background contamination of post-consumer PP packaging for its submissions to food safety authorities in Europe, the US and the UK.

Edward Kosior, founder and CEO of Nextek and Nextloopp, says: ”The whole of the Nextloopp project is strengthened by TotalEnergies’ adding to the program its extensive technical capabilities in creating circular solutions for PP resins.” 

“[TotalEnergues] contributes to the growing body of expertise in controlling the properties and formulation of its range of both virgin and recycled PP for myriad applications.”

In August, Nextloopp completed a trial with UK-based packaging producer PFF Group centered on producing a 350 g Desto banderole pot, typically used in hot fill applications such as porridge, where PP is employed for its ability to cope with high temperatures.

In June, the initiative undertook the first full-scale packaging production trials using its PPristine food-grade resins. Mannok Pack, one of the UK and Ireland’s leading thermoformed food packaging manufacturers, ran the trials at its County Cavan facility, producing a range of different products from 500 g dairy spread tubs and lids through injection molding with an in-mold label to 500 g dairy spread tubs with lids through conventional sheet extrusion and thermoforming. 

Edited by Louis Gore-Langton

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