SCS – Styrenics Circular Solutions, the value chain initiative to promote the circular economy for styrenic polymers, has officially submitted a notification for a ‘novel technology’ under the recently introduced EU regulation 2022/1616.
Read: June 2023 Issue of Food InfoTech Magazine.
The technology guarantees the safe utilization of rigid recycled polystyrene (rPS) as a food contact material within an ABA structure, where it is protected by a functional barrier. The purpose of the notification is to ensure the ongoing availability of safe rPS, produced using this established technology, while adhering to the strict conditions and supervision mandated by EU regulations.
The European Union’s regulation 2022/1616, which became effective in October 2022, focuses on recycled plastic food contact materials and articles (FCMs). Its primary objective is to safeguard the safety of FCMs while simultaneously facilitating the utilization of a greater proportion of recycled plastic in FCM production, as stated by the European Commission. The EU regulation allows for the utilization of polystyrene recycled using ‘novel technologies’ as food contact materials (FCM), such as in food packaging, under specific conditions. These conditions include the completion of a notification process and the continuous monitoring and reporting of comprehensive safety information. While the notification requires verification by the competent authority, submitting it permits the immediate market placement of recycled polystyrene (rPS) produced using the notified installations and technology as FCM.
The consortium led by SCS comprises European manufacturers, converters, and recyclers, representing the complete polystyrene value chain. In the future, additional installations that recycle and convert polystyrene into ABA sheets can be incorporated under the existing SCS notification. SCS eagerly anticipates the participation of more value chain stakeholders in their consortium to enhance recycling and processing capabilities, meeting the market’s demand for secure recycled plastic food contact materials (FCM).
Jens Kathmann, Secretary-General of SCS, said: “This significant step will accelerate the uptake of recycled polystyrene in the market. Our notification builds on polystyrene’s intrinsic suitability as recycled food contact material, due to its low diffusion characteristics, among other things. It demonstrates the justified confidence in the safety of recycled polystyrene for food contact applications, which is based on research that we initiated before the new EU regulation.”
He adds, “Furthermore, we, our members and partners have been developing multiple other technologies for recycled polystyrene that can be safely used also in direct contact with food. The investments and strong engagement of the value chain are paying off. We warmly welcome even more value chain members to join our ABA consortium.”