The introduction of regulation (EU) 2022/1616 in September 2022 revolutionized food-grade recycling approvals across the European Union. Unlike the previous regulation (EC) 282/2008, where individual recyclers sought authorization, the responsibility now lies with developers of decontamination processes. Each approved process is assigned a unique Recycling Process Authorisation Number (RAN) and listed in a public register.
This change, combined with new EFSA guidance imposing stricter evaluation criteria required all recycling machine manufacturers to resubmit their processes for re-evaluation. While processes approved under the old regulation were not guaranteed compliance under the new standards, NGR's LSP process has successfully demonstrated its exceptional cleaning efficiency, setting a new benchmark in food-grade plastic recycling.
Liquid State Polycondensation (LSP) process
Unlike traditional solid state polycondensation (SSP), which requires prolonged high-temperature processing in a vacuum, the Liquid State Polycondensation (LSP) Process harnesses the faster reaction rates in the melt phase. This breakthrough approach significantly reduces energy consumption and processing time while delivering high-quality results.
The combination of high molecular agility in the liquid phase and the large surface area of the material strands ensures highly effective purification. The LSP process provides a consistent increase in intrinsic viscosity (IV) levels, with precise control and stability over extended operations. Rigorous challenge testing has proven its exceptional decontamination efficiency, meeting and exceeding the highest food safety standards.