Alcamare Recieves FDA Letter of No Objection for Recycled Polypropylene

Alcamare announced it has received a letter of no objection (LNO) from the FDA for its recycled polypropylene. The letter recognizes the capability of Alcamare’s recycling process to safely produce PP for food-contact applications. The rPP is intended for use up to 100% recycled content for the manufacture of rigid articles (for example, beverage bottle caps, coffee containers, take-out food containers and microwaveable food containers) for contact with all food types under conditions of use A through H and J (microwave-only containers).

Alcamare is a fourth-generation, family-run business collects that 375 million lbs/yr of postconsumer plastics, processing 166 million lbs/yr into recycled PP and HDPE.

According to Alcamare, reconfiguration and testing of the washing, extrusion and devolatilization lines was a three-year process. After the successful configuration, two new extruders and devolatilization lines were activated, with an output capacity of 3 tons/hr each. This is expected to add 79 million pounds to current annual production.

Alcamare has 16 collection centers for postconsumer PP. The company has developed a comprehensive range of processes and procedures to validate and test that the feedstock meets the requirements of the LNO and customers expectations.

Alcamare’s process plant in Comonfort, Guanajuato, Mexico, receives bales from 16 collection centers. This 1.1 million-square-foot plant transforms postconsumer bales into flakes, pellets and finally decontaminated rPP. The site also has laboratory capabilities such as melt flow index, L*a*b* color measurement, contamination testing and gas chromatography.

“Meeting the rigorous standards of the FDA for the broadest food-contact applications is a testament to the innovative design of our mechanical recycling facility as well as the diligence we take regarding the chain of custody of the plastic PP feedstock,” says Ruben Valdez, industrial director at Almacare.