KW Plastics confirmed the receipt of a no objection letter (LNO) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition for KWR101-150, a natural postconsumer high density polyethylene resin.
The FDA letter confirms the resin is cleared for Conditions of Use E-G for levels up to 100 percent content. This additional clearance is in addition to its previous conformance to REACH/SVHC, CONEG and UL 94HB.
According to Pedro N. Morales, director of sales and marketing, “this new regulatory accomplishment permits KW to fully support our brand owners and processors, who are focusing on expanding the use of PCR to many rigid packaging applications where FDA food contact is required.”
While KW Plastics has produced HDPE Natural blow made-grade resins for over 25 years, this expanded clearance will offer the benefit of a food contact safe resin, while offering economic and resource management savings.
“With KWR101-150, our processors will only have to inventory one natural HDPE PCR for both their FDA and non-FDA compliant applications. Thus, our customers can expect a reduction in resin inventory costs, storage and logistics requirements. KW will not be charging a premium for this FDA compliant material,” Morales said.
The application and testing process was approximately a 2.5 years pursuit that KW executives believe will add value and volume to the postconsumer resin supply chain.
While KW has received a total of three LNOs for its postconsumer resins, this is the first LNO for HDPE. Two prior FDA letters of non-objection have been received for KW’s PP PCR resin family, consisting of KWR621FDA, KWR621-20FDA, and other grades to be commercialized.
Current volumes of the natural HDPE postconsumer resin are estimated at 100 million lbs. annually, with additional capacity. Shipments of KWR101-150 will commence immediately.
Published in the December 2017 Edition of American Recycler News