The Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) has launched a study aimed to helping retailers and manufacturers switch to food-grade recycled polypropylene plastic for food packaging.

While polypropylene is regularly recycled for industrial plastics, it has not yet be converted into food-grade packaging. WRAP hopes to change that by commissioning Axion Consulting — in partnership with Greenstar WES, Fraunhofer IVV and Pira consulting — to study the technological and commercial viability of such recycling.

Being able to used recycled, rather than virgin, plastics for food packaging would provide environmental benefits for retailers, brands and consumers, according to WRAP.

“Developing a commercial process for food grade polypropylene is widely seen as the next big challenge for food grade recycling technology,” said Paul Davidson, WRAP’s special advisor on plastics said. “WRAP recognises that the retailers, brand owners and packaging companies all want polypropylene to be available for food grade packaging.  However with its many different grades and colours used in packaging, developing such a process will be demanding. We are pleased to be working with experts in this area to help scope this work, and enable the industry as a whole to move towards more sustainable packaging.”

“This is a fascinating and technically challenging development project, which will involve us gaining a more in depth understanding of the issues associated with the feasibility of recycling polypropylene for food packaging,” added
Roger Morton, Director of Axion Consulting. “The project will also test whether the food grade High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) recycling process already in existence can be used to recycle polypropylene which meets food grade standards. The findings will help to identify what further technical requirements exist to developing a successful food grade recycling process for polypropylene and what recommendations need to be made to achieve this.”

WRAP expects the study to be concluded in late august, with the results available this autumn.

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