Nova Chemicals Corporation has today announced it has received a Letter of Non Objection from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration confirming the capability of its mechanical recycling process in Connersville, Ind., to produce post-consumer recycled LLDPE material suitable for broad food-contact applications.
The new material underscores Nova’s commitment to building a state-of-the-art mechanical recycling business, according to Greg DeKunder, vice president of Nova Circular Solutions, the business established by the company in February 2023 with a focus on lower-emission, recycled solutions.
The rLLDPE, Nova’s second food-compliant recycled polyethylene (rPE), will be sold under the brand name Syndigo. The first Syndigo product, introduced last year, was a high-density recycled polyethylene derived from milk bottles. The company said that this new material will be based on stretch film/pallet wrap and shrink wrap – in other word, post-consumer waste film from retail and distribution centers.
“We will also be collecting PE carry-out bags and plastic mailer bags; heavy-duty shipping sacks, air pillows and pellet, mulch, and ice bags for use in a whole host of other applications,” said Alan Schrob, director of mechanical recycling at Nova.
Customers in North America will be able to use Nova’s rLLDPE for the manufacture of food packaging with up to 100 percent recycled content intended for contact with all food types under the FDA’s conditions of use B through H. The company has developed a comprehensive range of processes and procedures to validate and test that the feedstock it is using meets the requirements of the LNO and delivers the quality that customers expect. Nova also has extensive laboratory capabilities at its Centre for Performance Applications and Centre for Applied Research to ensure the quality, performance and compliance of the resins that will be produced at the Connersville site.
The new rLLDPE film is not food contact approved in Europe, noted Schrob. “Today, we believe there is plenty of opportunity to recycle polyethylene into applications in North America to satisfy the demands of brands and retailers and comply with North American standards and regulations, which are different from Europe’s,” he explained.
rLLDPE is one of the most commonly used materials for flexible food packaging and can be used for the full scope of applications including pantry staples, refrigerator items, and freezer packaging. There is high interest from converters, retailers, and brand owners for rPE. McKinsey estimates that the demand for post-consumer recycled plastic will triple by 2030 to about 90 million tons.
“Meeting the rigorous standards of the FDA for the broadest food contact applications is a testament to the innovative design of our mechanical recycling facility as well as the diligence we take regarding chain of custody of the plastic film feedstock,” said Alan Schrob, director of mechanical recycling, NOVA Circular Solutions.