Valencia-based AIMPLAS, the Plastics Technology Centre, has launched a research initiative aimed at overcoming one of the most persistent obstacles in plastic recycling—making post-consumer polyolefins safe for direct food contact applications.
The DECONWASTE project, backed by the Valencian Institute for Competitiveness and Innovation (IVACE+i) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), seeks to develop advanced cleaning and decontamination technologies that meet European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) requirements while ensuring consumer protection.
Polyolefins, widely used in packaging, present unique technical challenges compared with other materials such as PET. Their varied applications, the presence of multiple additives, and complex chemical behaviour make decontamination more demanding. Compounding the issue is the difficulty of distinguishing between food and non-food packaging in recycling streams, which hinders traceability.
“Their wide range of uses, the presence of multiple additives, and their chemical behaviour make decontamination processes more complex and require specialised technologies,” said Adrián Morales, lead researcher in mechanical recycling at AIMPLAS. “It is essential to research and develop new effective decontamination methods that address these challenges and ensure the safety of recycled materials for food contact use.”
The project aims to deliver processes that not only comply with European regulations but also give manufacturers—particularly SMEs—access to safe, traceable recycled materials for packaging production. “This initiative aims not only to comply with European regulations and directives but also to ensure consumer protection and trust in packaged food products,” Morales added.
AIMPLAS is partnering with ACTECO, SPBERNER, and PICDA to validate the technologies under development. All three companies are active in the plastics sector and committed to integrating innovation with sustainability. The programme is aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDGs 8, 9, and 12, which address economic growth, industry innovation, and responsible consumption and production.
By targeting one of the key bottlenecks in polyolefin recycling, the DECONWASTE project could enable the reintroduction of materials previously considered unsuitable for food-contact packaging, advancing both circular economy goals and compliance with EU policy frameworks.
