Alpla is advancing the development of food-safe recycled HDPE with a new pilot installation in Heerenveen, the Netherlands. Together with the independent technological institute NTCP, the packaging and recycling specialist is evaluating a patented solvent-based recycling process intended to deliver food-grade recycled HDPE (rHDPE) at industrial scale. The four-year innovation project is supported by the Dutch Ministry of Climate Policy and Green Growth and is aligned with the planned requirements of the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) for 2030, which will introduce mandatory minimum recycled content for packaging placed on the EU market. As part of the initiative, Alpla has established a new recycling company in the Netherlands dedicated to the construction and operation of the pilot plant, which is expected to provide key data for future industrial implementation of the technology.
Solvent-based process under evaluation in Heerenveen
The project focuses on validating a patented solvent-based recycling technology for post-consumer HDPE packaging. Following several years of research and development with positive laboratory results, Alpla and NTCP have started testing all process steps at NTCP's site in Heerenveen. The partners aim to demonstrate that the process can reliably produce HDPE recyclate that meets food-contact safety requirements.
During the four-year programme, the pilot plant will be used to intensively assess cleaning and processing performance, material quality and process stability. The operational data generated are intended to support an application for approval by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). The companies expect that the insights from pilot-scale operation will form the basis for scaling the technology to full industrial production in time for the application of PPWR 2030.
Target: certified food-grade HDPE recyclate
According to the project partners, there is currently no certified process in the European Union for producing food-grade HDPE recyclate. Against this backdrop, the new technology is positioned as a potential contribution to closing the loop for rigid polyolefin packaging used in food applications.
Michael Heyde, Head of Technology Recycling Division at Alpla, underlines the importance of the development: "To date, there is no certified process in the EU for the production of food-grade HDPE recycled material. Our highly efficient technology for cleaning and processing post-consumer recycled material could be a real game changer."
Alpla operates its own recycling division with 14 sites worldwide, producing PET and HDPE recyclates. The company reports an installed and projected recycling output capacity of 400,000 tonnes per year, most of which is further processed in-house into packaging solutions. The planned industrialisation of the solvent-based HDPE process is intended to expand the availability of food packaging based on rHDPE for fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) markets.
Role of NTCP and public support
NTCP participates as an independent knowledge institute specialising in plastics recycling technologies. The organisation provides its pilot infrastructure in Heerenveen and contributes to process and technology evaluation.
Commenting on the cooperation, NTCP CEO Martine Brandsma states: "This cooperation with Alpla fits perfectly to the core activities and mission of NTCP as an independent knowledge institute, to facilitate and accelerate technology developments with frontrunner parties. We believe that new technologies are needed to completely close the plastics value chain while reducing the amount of waste."
The pilot project is supported by the Dutch Ministry of Climate Policy and Green Growth. The ministry's funding is intended to help advance innovative recycling solutions that can contribute to climate objectives and the transition towards a circular plastics economy. The combination of industrial know-how from Alpla, technology expertise from NTCP and public co-financing is designed to accelerate the path from laboratory results to market-ready recycling processes for food-grade HDPE.
