Europe’s first food-safe recycled polypropylene claimed

Prevented Ocean Plastic (POP) has unveiled what it says is the first food-safe recycled polypropylene (rPP) certified to EU standards.

PP has a post-consumer recycling rate globally of just 1%. Technical and economic challenges limit recycling, with much of the material either downcycled into lower-value products or left to litter waterways and coastlines. The POP initiative, certified under EU 2022/1616 standards, allows PP waste to be collected, recycled at scale and returned to the market as high-quality, food-safe packaging.

Collection networks

Developed through a partnership spanning the entire supply chain, the project combines collection networks in Indonesia under the POP brand. The project involves Danone, Circulate Capital, advanced processing by Petman using Starlinger Viscotec technology, and supply from Bantam Materials UK. Early adopters include Innovia Films, a division of CCL Industries, and Spectra Packaging, which will use the rPP in films, bottles and caps.In its first year, the programme is expected to prevent 500 million discarded PP cups from entering the ocean. The model has capacity to scale rapidly across other coastal regions at risk of plastic pollution.

‘Monumental’

POP founder Raffi Schieir calls the development a world-first ‘monumental moment’ to ocean plastic prevention, proving the POP franchise model can solve major plastic collection problems at scale.
‘My hope is that we can grow this model in every at-risk costal community, so all types of plastic are seen as valuable, and nothing discarded gets left behind. A huge thank you to every stakeholder for their effort and science-based testing over the years to help solve this problem.

‘Game-changer’

Neil Hudson, technology expert for recycling and sustainability at Innovia Films, described EU food contact approved PP from a mechanically recovered post-consumer source as a game-changer. ‘We can now make films for label and flexible packaging in the food and beverage space and contribute to circularity and sustainability.’

Circulate Capital’s associate partner for southeast Asia, Dondi Hananto, adds: ‘Starting in Indonesia, this milestone shows how collaboration can drive systemic change across global supply chains.’POP operates a scalable franchise collection model designed to incentivise recovery in coastal communities, intervening before waste reaches the ocean. Financial backing from multiple institutions has helped build capabilities to sort and customise input feedstock, ensuring consistent quality recycling. POP supplies major manufacturing partners such as Groupe Guillin, Spectra Packaging, and Berry Global.