Technology for recycling printed plastic containers for food through the elimination of inks
The general objective of the RECIRC-PP Project is the attainment and validation of a technology capable of recycling plastic waste from printed plastic containers for foods.
This technology must be capable of removing inks printed on packaging, so that they can be reused for food use applications.
To do so, the technology developed must comply with current legislation on recycled plastics in contact with foods and the requirements established by the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA).
To achieve these objectives, the following partial technical points are established:
- Definition of the scope of the full process of recycling printed food packaging.
- Development of a prototype of the recycling technology for printed plastic food packaging, including its construction and commissioning to ensure the elimination of printed inks.
- Validation of the recycling technology, through a challenge test or stimulation test, determining its efficacy in decontamination to eliminate inks and chemical agents used in the de-inking.
- Preparation of a technical file to present to the EFSA, allowing it to be demonstrated that the recycling technology developed is suitable for obtaining food grade recycled PP (R-PP).
The project is fully aligned with the objectives of the subsidy programme for SME Innovation Projects (INNOVA-CV), developing a new product, in this case an innovative technology for closed circuit recycling of printed plastics for foods. The final result of the Project will be a prototype of the recycling technology, which will have been validated technically and in terms of food safety.
