Recycled polypropylene has officially entered a new era of European circular packaging. For the first time, a recycling process for PP has been approved for food contact applications under EU legislation, opening unprecedented scenarios for the packaging industry.
The announcement comes from an international collaboration involving Prevented Ocean Plastic, Starlinger Viscotec, and other stakeholders along the value chain. The outcome is a recycled material that complies with Regulation (EU) 2022/1616, marking a milestone comparable to the earlier approval of recycled PET.
This breakthrough is both regulatory and industrial. Until now, recycled PP was largely confined to non-food applications. Today, with official approval, it can be envisioned in packaging for food, cosmetics, and even pharmaceuticals. Food safety, evaluated by EFSA, is not just a technical requirement: it is the key that unlocks access to highly regulated, high-value markets for recycled PP.
The implications for the value chain are significant. For recyclers, a new market opportunity emerges, where previously overlooked polypropylene streams can now be valorized. For converters and processors, this means access to a more versatile, sustainable material that meets both regulatory demands and brand expectations. And for brand owners, it represents the possibility to integrate higher shares of recycled PP into their packaging portfolios without compromising compliance or consumer safety.
Of course, challenges remain. The availability of suitable feedstock, the scalability of approved processes, and the costs tied to quality assurance are critical factors. At the same time, competition with PET, already well established in food-grade recycling, raises questions about how PP will carve out its competitive space. The task ahead is to translate regulatory approval into a stable and scalable market reality.
Still, the signal is clear: Europe has opened a new chapter for recycled polypropylene. In a context where circular transition is at the center of both industrial and legislative agendas, this approval demonstrates that the limits of recycled materials can be pushed further, step by step.
If PET was the first to prove the feasibility of food-safe recycling, PP now follows as the second major polymer to achieve this certification. The question that remains is: which material will be next to receive the EU’s green light? It’s a question not only for technologists, but for everyone who sees packaging as the most concrete testing ground for sustainability.
