AIMPLAS, the Plastics Technology Center, leads an innovative research project, DECONWASTE, focused on Improve the recycling of plastic packaging and enable its safe reuse in food contact applications.
The project aims to research and develop new methods for cleaning and decontaminating recycled plastics, specifically polyolefins, a type of material widely used in packaging. To achieve this, DECONWASTE will explore advanced decontamination techniques capable of transforming post-consumer waste into safe recycled materials, following the guidelines of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Unlike other materials such as PET, recycling polyolefins presents significant technical challenges.
"Its wide range of uses, the presence of multiple additives, and its chemical behavior make decontamination processes more complex and require specialized technologies," he explained. Adrián Morales, Principal Investigator of Mechanical Recycling at AIMPLASFurthermore, the inability to easily distinguish between food and non-food packaging during recycling, or to trace the food origin of recycled packaging, complicates subsequent processing steps.
"Therefore, it is essential to research and develop new, effective decontamination methods that address these challenges and ensure the safety of recycled materials for use in contact with food," Morales emphasized. He added that the initiative aims "not only to comply with European regulations and directives, but also to ensure consumer protection and confidence in packaged food products."
In this regard, DECONWASTE will work to develop effective methods to overcome these obstacles and ensure that recycled materials meet safety standards for reuse in food applications. This advancement represents an opportunity for companies, especially SMEs, to incorporate recycled materials into their production processes with guaranteed safety and traceability.
The project is supported by ACTECO, SPBERNER, and PICDA, companies committed to innovation and sustainability that actively participate in the validation of the developed technologies. Furthermore, DECONWASTE is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically Goals 8, 9, and 12. It is funded by the Valencian Institute for Competitiveness and Innovation (IVACE+i) through the 2024 call for Strategic Cooperation Projects and by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
