PETpla.net Insider 06 / 2013

MATERIAL / RECYCLING 18 PET planet insider Vol. 14 No. 06/13 www.petpla.net Positive EFSA opinions for Starlinger PET iV+ process The challenges of PET recycling In issue 10/12 of PETplanet insider, we reported on how the EFSA evaluates the recycling processes for PET used in food contact applications. The preliminary results of these tests were published by the EFSA in August 2012. December 2012 saw the publication by the EFSA of further results. These revealed positive evaluations for all recycling companies which produce recycled PET pellets from PET materials and articles using the Starlinger recoStar PET iV+ technology or the recoStar PET FG technology. We had a closer look on how the EFSA test procedures work. The challenge test results for the cleaning efficiency of the Starlinger PET recycling process involving the five specified surrogates toluene, chloroform, phenyl cyclohexane, benzophenone and lindane came out well above the thresholds specified by EFSA. This means that the process is considered not to give rise to safety concerns if operated under well- defined and controlled conditions. The recycling companies who took part in the tests were: Preformia (Finland), STF (Germany), MPTS (Poland), PET to PET (Austria), Eco Plastics (UK), BtB (Germany), PRT (Austria), Valplastic (Italy), Fellinger B (Austria), BariQ (Egypt) Conditions of the process The evaluation of the process is based on data obtained in challenge tests carried out using Starlinger recycling technology. The same data were also used in 2007 for obtaining the Non-Objection-Letter from the US FDA. Challenge tests are usually car- ried out with washed flakes, Starlinger, however, performed them under so- called “worst case” conditions. In the 4-step recycling process heavily con- taminated unwashed PET flakes were processed. Despite the high contami- nation the process achieved a clean- ing efficiency exceeding the EFSA thresholds (Graph 1). For comparison Starlinger also carried out a challenge test with contaminated flakes that were washed before being processed, which is the input material recyclers usually deal with. In this case, four out of five surrogates showed a clean- ing efficiency of 99.9 %. Even lindane (non-volatile/non-polar) showed a cleaning efficiency of 99.9 % where the EFSA threshold requires 89.67 % (Graph 2). Both challenge test results show the decontamination capacity of the recoStar PET iV+ technology. Specifications of the challenge test The challenge tests are carried out by independent test facilities such as the Fraunhofer Institute, Germany, TNO, Netherlands, or OFI, Austria, who are commissioned by the tech- nology provider and/or the recycling companies. The results obtained are forwarded by the respective appli- cants as part of the request to the EFSA for evaluation. Test procedure for the recoStar PET iV+ technology Step 1:  Conventionally hot washed flakes are contaminated with the surro- gates  Normal case scenario – contami- nated flakes are washed again  Worst case scenario – con- taminated flakes are processed unwashed 0,8 0,6 0,4 0,2 0,0 0 100 200 300 400 500 molecular weight [g/mol] Cp,O [p pm] 100 90 80 70 60 50 0 100 200 300 400 500 molecular weight [g/mol] cleaning efficiency [%] Graph 1: Results of the challenge test under worst case conditions Graph 2: Results of the challenge test under normal conditions 0,8 0,6 0,4 0,2 0,0 0 100 200 300 400 500 molecular weight [g/mol] Cp,O [p pm] 100 90 80 70 60 50 0 100 200 300 400 500 molecular weight [g/mol] cleaning efficiency [%]