Coperion Receives FDA Letter of No Objection for Food-Grade rHDPE and rPP Recycling Technology

Coperion has received a Letter of No Objection (LNO) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) confirming that its mechanical recycling process for high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polypropylene (PP) can produce recyclates suitable for direct food-contact applications.

The approval covers food-grade rHDPE and rPP produced using Coperion’s twin-screw extrusion systems in combination with its EcoFresh silo degassing technology. The validation enables the production of recycled polyolefins that meet regulatory requirements for use in food packaging applications, including containers, bottles, trays, and cups.

The company said it is the first supplier to combine twin-screw extrusion and silo-based decontamination systems into a fully integrated recycling solution certified for food-contact recyclate production at industrial scale, with processing capacities of up to 6,000 kg/h.

The FDA confirmation was based on challenge testing that verified the system’s ability to remove contaminants and migratory substances to levels required for food-contact compliance. According to Coperion, the combined effect of high-intensity melt processing in its twin-screw extruder and secondary decontamination in the EcoFresh silo system is central to achieving the required purity levels.

The approval expands the potential for closed-loop recycling of post-consumer polyolefins into food-grade applications. In practice, it enables materials such as HDPE milk bottles and juice containers, as well as PP packaging including trays and yogurt cups, to be mechanically recycled and reused in new food-contact packaging formats.

Manufacturing food-grade recycled plastics remains one of the most technically demanding segments of the recycling industry due to strict regulatory requirements governing contaminant removal, material consistency, and safety verification for direct food contact applications.

“The FDA’s LNO means that rHDPE and rPP manufactured with our technologies can be used for new food packaging in proportions up to 100 percent,” said Stefan Lachenmayer, Global Commercial Director Recycling at Coperion. “As a result, we provide recyclers the assurance that our energy-efficient mechanical recycling process manufactures high-quality recyclate for use cases A–H, including packaging for heat-sterilized, pasteurized or frozen products.”

Coperion said the decontamination performance of its system is driven by a combination of intensive melt processing, high-efficiency devolatilization, and controlled solid-state degassing. After extrusion and melt filtration, the material is pelletized before undergoing a second purification stage in the EcoFresh silo system, which further reduces residual volatile compounds.

The company also highlighted the importance of feedstock preparation, noting that HDPE input material typically includes post-consumer beverage bottles and closures, while PP streams consist of packaging such as vegetable trays, yogurt containers, and similar household plastic products.

To support process validation and development, Coperion operates recycling test facilities, including its Recycling Innovation Center, where full process trials can be conducted using real-world waste streams. The company also works with Herbold Meckesheim’s testing facilities for pre-processing steps such as shredding and washing, enabling end-to-end simulation of the recycling workflow.

Coperion said its system-based approach integrates multiple process stages into a single engineered solution, allowing decontamination steps to be applied at optimized points throughout the recycling chain rather than as isolated unit operations.

By combining mechanical recycling with validated decontamination technology, the company aims to expand the availability of food-grade recycled polyolefins and support increased use of post-consumer materials in regulated packaging applications.

Source: Coperion

SUNSHINE Spotlight: Coperion’s FDA Letter of No Objection validates its integrated extrusion and silo degassing system for producing food-grade rHDPE and rPP, enabling broader use of mechanically recycled polyolefins in food-contact packaging applications.