KW Plastics receives FDA no-objection letter

KW Plastics, headquartered in Troy, Alabama, has confirmed that it has received a no-objection letter (LNO) from the Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for KWR101-150, a natural postconsumer high-density polyethylene (HDPE) resin.

The LNO confirms the resin is cleared for room-temperature filled and stored, refrigerated storage and frozen storage packaging at levels of up to 100 percent content. This clearance is in addition to its previous conformance to Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals/Substances of Very High Concern (REACH/SVHC), Coalition of North East Governors (CONEG) and UL 94 HB (horizontal burning flammability).

While KW Plastics has produced natural HDPE blow-grade resins for more than 25 years, this expanded clearance will offer the additional benefit of a food-contact-safe resin while offering economic and resource management savings, the company says.

Pedro N. Morales, KW director of sales and marketing, says, “This new regulatory accomplishment permits KW to fully support our brand owners and processors, who are focusing on expanding the use of PCR (postconsumer recycling resin) to many rigid packaging applications where FDA food contact is required.”

He adds, “With KWR101-150, our processors will only have to inventory one natural HDPE PCR for both their FDA and non-FDA compliant applications. Thus, our customers can expect a reduction in resin inventory costs, storage and logistics requirements.”

Morales says KW will not charge a premium for this FDA-compliant resin.

The application and testing process was approximately a two-and-a-half-year pursuit, the company says, adding that KW executives believe it will add value and volume to the postconsumer resin supply chain.

Scott Saunders, general manager of KW Plastics Recycling Division, says, “KW invested the research and development towards this resin so that we can better serve our customers and meet their demand for more sensitive applications such as personal care items that require FDA resin. We can now offer a PP (polypropylene) and natural HDPE resin in our FDA portfolio.”

KW Plastics Recycling Division recycles postconsumer HDPE and PP plastics and supplies postconsumer resins to the automotive, beauty and personal care packaging, pipe, paint and coatings packaging, agriculture, packaging and sheet industries.

While KW says it has received a total of three LNOs for its postconsumer resins, this is the first LNO it has received for HDPE. The two prior FDA LNOs applied to KW’s PP PCR resin family, consisting of KWR621FDA, KWR621-20FDA and other grades to be commercialized, the company says.

“Achieving our third FDA LNO within four years confirms that KW Plastics is a true leader in not only the plastics recycling industry but the resin supply industry as well,” Saunders says.

KW says its current volume of natural HDPE postconsumer resin is estimated at 100 million pounds annually, with additional capacity available.  Shipments of KWR101-150 will start immediately. Copies of the FDA LNOs can be found on this Web page and the technical data sheet for KWR101-150 can be found here.

KW Plastics is an ISO:9001-2008 registered facility with ISO-IEC 17025:2005 accredited lab.

The KW companies include KW Plastics of Troy, KW Plastics of California, KW Plastics Recycling Division and KW Container.