Australian advanced chemical recycling criteria target food-grade plastic packaging

GPT Circular and iQRenew have established quality and specification requirements for the use of Australian soft plastics in advanced chemical recycling worldwide. This action is intended to reduce contamination, guarantee effective processing, and produce food packaging materials of quality.

Referred to as a "landmark agreement," the partnership seeks to advance the effectiveness and feasibility of advanced chemical recycling in Australia, establish the nation as a leader in sustainable waste management, and establish new industry standards that produce high-quality recycled materials that meet international industry standards.

Food residues, inks, adhesives, and other impurities are eliminated at iQRenew's Soft Plastics Engineered Commodity (SPEC) plant through a mix of sorting, washing, and quality control procedures.  This will solve "one of the biggest barriers in plastic recycling" and provide "only the highest-quality materials" that satisfy the purity requirements of chemical recycling.

Because it is anticipated to unleash food-grade recycled plastic, the invention is regarded as a "crucial step forward" for Australian merchants and brands.  Similarly, it is expected to reduce the environmental impact of soft plastics, keep precious resources out of landfills and within a circular economy, and help Australia's sophisticated chemical recycling industry.

“Without stringent contamination control, soft plastics cannot reach their full recycling potential,” explained GPT Circular CEO Toby Manners. “The groundbreaking work being done at iQRenew’s SPEC facility, particularly with the SPEC process, is revolutionizing the way we process and repurpose plastic waste.

“For the first time, Australian businesses can integrate high-quality, recycled plastics into their creative packaging solutions, reducing their reliance on virgin materials while supporting a truly circular economy. This is a significant win for sustainability, innovation, and consumer demand for eco-friendly packaging.”

“Establishing these quality and specification standards is a game-changer for soft plastics recycling,” added Danial Gallagher, CEO of iQRenew. “By ensuring a consistent high-quality standard of input materials, we can maximise the success of chemical recycling and enable a pathway to a sustainable future.”

Joshua Dill, an analyst with ICIS Plastics Recycling, told us late last year how the chemical recycling sector could come to a complete standstill due to a lack of appropriate regulations and laws.  However, chief news correspondent Tom Brown also described how the difficulty of recycling some plastics and economic pressures are delaying mechanical recycling, implying that chemical recycling may eventually fill the void.

In other news, a €500 million plan to promote chemical recycling that turns mixed and/or polluted plastic trash back into "virgin-like" raw materials has been authorized by the European Commission.  In keeping with the Commission's 2024–2029 priorities outlined in the Political Guidelines, which advocate for a more resilient and circular economy, this will include trays, films, non-beverage bottles, and textile materials that include a particular proportion of polyester.

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