MATERIALS / RECYCLING PETplanet Insider Vol. 26 No. 12/25 www.petpla.net 22 pellets have the same level of safety as virgin PET for food contact (EFSA approved). PETplanet: The study examined samples across the recycling chain from flakes to preforms. Where should recyclers focus their quality control efforts? Is there a critical control point in the process where intervention is most effective? Casper van den Dungen: If we want to turn PET circular, we need to ensure that the PET containers, bottles or trays, have been designed for recycling. Only then it makes sense to collect them and secure their next rebirth in a following cycle. After every purification cycle, key limits are set which will help to secure the required quality in the next cycle. Analysis of NIAS should currently be done according to the PING - PET Industry Nias Group. The version 2019 is currently available and our Lab Cluster where more than 40 laboratories are participating is currently working on the creation of a more developed ‘industry standard’ for NIAS measurement in PET resins and packaging. Intent is to publish this by mid-2026. Recyclers will control the NIAS in pellets before they get converted into a new packaging. PETplanet: For brand owners demanding higher rPET percentages, how should they balance recycled content targets and compositional/NIAS risks? Casper van den Dungen: As said previously the potential mistakes in a cycle are related to their origin, the recyclability of the designs is the main contributor, but also at the accumulation of their modules or steps toward the next cycle. The collection and washing are important modules which will reduce the % level of non-PET to a ppm level of impurities. This will then create a ppb level of NIAS effect which we need to be monitored. In short these are big steps, but the current systems in the market have proven to be able to handle these successfully over already a long period of time. PETplanet: PETCORE is developing a central NIAS databank and standardised reporting. How will PETCORE handle confidentiality vs transparency for industry partners who supply proprietary compositional or process data? What information will be mandatory to make the databank useful? Casper van den Dungen: The database we currently are developing, is using a webbased platform with a state-of-the-art data protection, we also anonymise the data for the statistical analysis as we did for our consortium on the Functional Barrier. An agreement between PETCORE EUROPE and the data owner frames that PETCORE can have access to create the statistical analysis and benchmarks. The more a company is sharing with PETCORE EUROPE, the more detailed the analysis and benchmarks will be. And the data needed will vary from one point of the value chain to another. Monitoring should contain the required details to improve and control the NIAS levels. PETplanet: Looking ahead: what are the top research or industry actions you think are essential as the next steps to reduce NIAS uncertainty in food-contact rPET (method harmonisation, databank completion, technology upgrades (eg. chemical recycling as super cleaning step), regulatory alignment, or something else)? Casper van den Dungen: The PET value chain has been working since years to create the actual safe situation as regards NIAS. State-ofthe-art equipment and procedures have been deployed, investments in process equipment, lab equipment and staff in all steps from collection, recycling and packaging production have created a strong base. For the future, the below changes will occur and adaptation will be needed: Detection limits of NIAS will keep on lowering, and new substances will come into focus like PFAs recently. Then the industry will need to keep standardising and improving analytical techniques. The screening methods are already well advanced for the lower molecular weight; progress will be needed for substances with higher molecular weight. Increased circularity of PET will be a game changer. This is a new territory, and we need to gather as many data as possible to create trends and predictive tools. This will allow us to anticipate changes, guide the industry and keep food safety at the highest standard. We call on the whole value chain to supply analytical data for our GENI initiative. It aims at gathering NIAS data all along the value chain and with a sufficient frequency to feed statistical predictive models. PETplanet: Thank you very much Casper! www.petcore-europe.org The study can be found here: www.sciencedirect.com/science/ article/pii/S0021967325007770
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