Austrian polymers producer Borealis (Vienna; www.borealisgroup.com) said it has received food-grade packaging clearance for two grades of its Borcycle M line of post-consumer recycled plastics from the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) .

The company’s mechanically recycled Borcycle M post-consumer HDPE and polypropylene can be used up to 100% in certain dry food contact applications, it said. Additionally, the recycled materials can constitute up to 10% of packaging for dry foods with surface oil and moist bakery products.

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The approval for the HDPE recyclate is effective from January 2024, while the clearance for the PP grade came into effect in February 2024.

In the EU, the FDA clearance will facilitate conversations regarding use of these materials in high-end, contact-sensitive applications such as cosmetics and personal care packaging, the company said.

The mechanical recycling technology used to produce the company’s Borcycle grades was originally tested at a pilot plant in Germany together with Tomra and Zimmermann. A commercial-scale facility in Schwechat, Austria, is scheduled to come online in 2025.