RE-CReATE: Next generation of recycled food-grade PP crates and compounds for returnable food packaging in the Norwegian Circular Economy

Returnable transport crates are used to pack and protect various products like fresh produce, packed food, and other consumer goods from production to processing, wholesaler and grocery store. They ensure efficient transportation, excellent protection, and reduced product waste rates. Hence, they are a sustainable logistic enabler. Such crates are typically made of food contact approved polypropylene (PP) due to its excellent properties, durability and purity which make it ideal for contact with food. Nopla, as the producer of crates for NLP, proposed the idea of recycling discarded PP crates from NLP and other similar pools back into new food approved crates and thereby drastically improve the sustainability of these. The main objective for the project was to establish closed loop recycling scheme of crates into new food approved crates for the food and grocery sector. NLP has demonstrated the source capacity of their own system for the recycling and use of recycled crates from their controlled loop. This report implied that the sources from the NLP closed loop system will not provide enough recyclable material to feed NLPs demand for additional crates to be produced. This implies that materials sourced from both semi-controlled and non-controlled loops should be considered in the project research, as a valuable source for production of recycled crates. Semi-controlled and noncontrolled loop sourced crates were also part of this report and the potential of all three sources has been reported. Nopla has provided sources for recyclate made from food grade articles from controlled pools. NLP has provided an adequate quantity of crates from their system which are fully controlled and traceable. Materials for all three phases of purification process were selected, prioritized, and sent to Norner Research for fundamental studies, upscaling, and validation. In addition, Noplas contribution has been administrative tasks related to the reporting. Norner Research has performed simulation of recycling process (grinding, washing, and compounding to samples for characterization). Nopla has provided virgin PP and HDPE commonly used in their processes for the matter of comparison and as control samples. They were prepared in the same manner for characterization purposes. Determination of rheology parameters (MFR and RDA), structure (FTIR), thermal (DSC), mechanical properties and diverse processing parameters for all the samples were performed. Overall and specific migration were performed as quantitative indicator of the materials safety with two simulants to cover the whole range of food products. Norner Research has demonstrated that both quality and risk assessment of recycled crates is adequate and close to virgin materials. With new regulations (EU) 2022/1616 on recycled plastic materials and articles intended to come into contact with food, closed loop systems are considered suitable technology. Nopla has applied with all findings on quality and safety from the project results through Norwegian authorities (Mattilsynet) for the approval of recycling scheme for closed loop recycling. In October 2022 Nopla started to operate as recycler with registered recycling scheme for closed loop recycling. They became the first registered closed loop recyclers in Norway, and this was a direct outcome of this project. Through Norner Research the project has conducted one final research task to provide the level of additives needed to maintain quality and safety of recycled crates that is influenced by multiple recycling and reported in the final report of the project. This project had a unique outcome with a registered recycling scheme approved and the first production of closed loop recycled crates for food contact application within the project period timeline.

The new efficient recycling process has been validated. Different sources of materials for recycling have been identified and material quality and safety for food contact applications has been validated within R&D activities in the project. NOPLA has become the first registered closed-loop recycler in Norway and Scandinavia and NLPOOL is the first circular business using them. New source management plan has been adopted and in the phase of realization. Both industry partners have started using outcomes of RE-CReATE project before the project ends. RE-CReATE project results have significant contribution to reach EU goals on recycling of 50% of the plastics in packaging and to meet UN sustainable goals in particular of G2, G3, G8, G9, G12 and G13. Project closely followed changes in EU regulations for use recycled materials in food contact ((EU) 2022/1616) and new packaging waste directive draft.

Considering the extensive use of polypropylene (PP) in food contact packaging (ca 4 Mtonn/year in Europe), enabling the recycling of materials back to food packaging as food contact grades is a crucial action to reach EU goals on recycling of 50% of the plastics in packaging, as well as of sectorial goals in Norway. The absence of food-contact compliant recycled PP in the Scandinavian market portrays both the high demands on quality and safety by the regulations and the absence of both technically capable and economically feasible recycling processes as well as of sources of recyclates of sufficient quality. Therefore the success of RE-CReATE will enable, to the best of our knowledge, the first commercial production of recycled food-grade PP in Scandinavia. The underlying idea of RE-CReATE is developing the next generation of food-grade PP crates for returnable food-packaging systems for the Circular Economy in Norway and the rest of Scandinavia with minimized environmental footprint by the incorporation of recyclates from environmentally friendly and economically feasible processes. The main target is, therefore, making available and increase the use of recycled food-grade PP into returnable food packaging. RE-CReATE deals with the sourcing and efficient purification of recyclates from the food supply systems and its recycling into new food-grade returnable crates. RE-CReATE will also look into the crate design as a tool to enable the use of low-quality recyclates. All in all, RE-CReATE will tackle the challenges from a holistic perspective looking into raw material sourcing, recycling and purification process and material development as well as on product design using LCA to validate the environmental friendliness of the solutions developed in the project. Therefore, RE-CReATE will improve the environmental footprint of the products and services of project partners in their core businesses which currently have an impact on Norway and the rest of Scandinavia.