“Hot washed flakes” are an important component in the recycling process for plastic packaging. These flakes are obtained through a multi-stage cleaning process aimed at removing impurities and increasing the purity of the recycled material. To do this, PET bottles, for example, are sorted, crushed, chemically cleaned, then hot-washed during processing, and any beverage residue, along with any adhesive residue from labels, is completely removed. However, there is still a long way to go before this important secondary raw material can be used for the production of food contact films and packaging. This requires an additional process step.

In January 2025, Fernholz Verpackungen received approval from the European Union to operate a recycling plant at the Meinerzhagen site to process hot-washed flakes into flakes for the production of films and packaging for direct food contact. For this purpose, the supplied hot-washed flakes are fed into a machine and decontaminated via a heating process.

COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION

dated 21/1/2025 authorising the mechanical PET recycling process ‘Fernholz’ in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2022/1616 on recycled plastic materials and articles intended to come into contact with foods.

Fernholz submitted an application for approval to the European Union back in 2022. With this approval and the associated RAN number “DEA-5IR-1AA”, Fernholz now has a fully EU-approved process for recycling PET that is recognized as suitable technology. According to internal estimates, the company is now one of only around 250 companies in Europe and around 25 companies in Germany to have achieved this status.

This approval is an important milestone in Fernholz Verpackungen’s investment offensive to expand the resource-conserving production of sustainable films and plastic packaging. Fernholz Verpackungen’s next goal is to register the processes of novel technologies with the EU, particularly with regard to polystyrene.