Florida-based chemical recycler PureCycle Technologies and Dublin-based packaging provider IPL Schoeller have developed PP tubs and lids incorporating 25 per cent post-consumer recycled (PCR) content.
The collaboration marks the first time a food-contact grocery container made with PureCycle’s PureFive resin has reached full commercial production, the company said.
The 24-ounce (680g) container will be used by fermented food producer Cleveland Kitchen, which relies on high-volume rigid plastics tubes and lids for its products.
They will be rolled out across the country in the new packaging in late June.
PureFive resin is produced through PureCycle’s dissolution recycling process, which is said to remove colours, odours, additives and other impurities that degrade traditionally recycled material.
The recycled content is GreenCircle Certified and also meets US Food and Drug Administration food-contact requirements for a wide range of uses.
‘Full food-contact compliance’
“Our fermented foods are living products,” said Luke Visnic, Cleveland Kitchen chief product officer.
“They deserve packaging that reflects the same commitment to health and the planet that our customers expect from what’s inside the container. Partnering with IPL Schoeller and PureCycle gives us a container with meaningful recycled content, full food-contact compliance, and a credible story we can put right on our label.”
The containers enable compliance with emerging recycled-content packaging mandates in New Jersey, California, and other states that are moving forward with similar regulations, PureCycle said.
New Jersey’s Recycled Content Law, which took effect in 2024, requires rigid plastics containers sold in the state to contain a minimum of 10 per cent PCR content.
That threshold will rise to 20 per cent in 2027 when an exemption for food-contact packaging expires.
PureCycle’s PureFive resin was recently granted conditional approval by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, qualifying it as ‘recycled content’ under the law.
‘A landmark moment’
“This is a landmark moment for the IPL Schoeller team,” said Melissa Vettleson, IPL Schoeller sustainability and materials engineer.
“It further underpins IPL Schoeller’s commitment to the use of reusable and recyclable packaging. We are a leader in the use of PCR across our European business, and we have been wanting to incorporate rPP into the right product in North America for several years with our eye on the PureCycle resin due to its high quality, clarity, and broad use cases.
“We were just waiting for the right partner to make this a reality.”
IPL Schoeller has a global manufacturing footprint with 26 locations across North America, Europe and the UK, following the July 2025 Merger between IPL Global and Schoeller Allibert.
PureCycle and IPL Schoeller plan to expand their collaboration to introduce PureFive resin into other offerings in their portfolio.
PureCycle recently teamed up with caps and closures manufacturer Reliable Caps to bring rPP closures to market for contact-sensitive applications.
In March, PureCycle won a €40 million ($46.2m) EU grant to fund the construction of its PP dissolution recycling facility in Belgium.
