Prime Highlights:
- Cirrec can now turn over three billion used PET trays annually into food-grade material, supporting sustainable packaging.
- The plant achieves over 95% purity in recycled PET, making it safe for new food packaging.
Key Facts:
- The recycled trays are processed into flakes and pellets and reused in new packaging with about 70% recycled content.
- Using recycled PET in trays reduces CO₂ emissions by 57% compared to new PET.
Background:
Dutch recycling company Cirrec, part of Faerch Group, has achieved a major milestone by turning used PET trays into food-grade material on a large scale. The company says it can process over three billion trays every year, totaling 60,000 tonnes of plastic, helping to make food packaging more sustainable.
Under EU rules, recycled PET can only be used for food packaging if it has previously been in contact with food. To meet this requirement, Cirrec uses advanced sorting systems at its plant in the Netherlands. The technology looks at the trays’ materials and appearance, helping the plant identify food packaging even when regular sorting methods can’t.
The trays are sorted using three STEINERT UniSort PR EVO 5.0 machines, reaching more than 95% purity for food-grade recycling. The system can also be adapted for new types of packaging without needing new equipment.
Once sorted, the trays go through magnetic and eddy current separators to remove metals. The plastic is shredded, washed, and turned into flakes and pellets. These are sent to Faerch Group to make new food packaging containing about 70% recycled material. Studies show that using recycled PET in trays produces 57% less CO₂ compared with using new PET.
Simone Tirelli, technical project manager at Faerch, said achieving high standards for food-grade recycling requires very precise sorting. She said the plant is dedicated to turning plastic waste into useful materials.
Cirrec is the only company in the world that can recycle used PET trays into food-grade material on a large scale. The project shows how new ideas and sustainability can help reduce plastic waste in food packaging.
