Geo-Tech Polymers receives FDA approval

The plastics recycling company Geo-Tech Polymers, Westerville, Ohio, in conjunction with Intertek, has received a letter of nonobjection (NOL) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that applies to all grades of plastics previously certified as FDA approved.

“We are excited to receive the NOL from the FDA," says Ron Whaley, Geo-Tech president and CEO. "Our cleaning processes are designed to remove coatings, inks, pigments, paints and other surface contaminates, providing our customers with the cleanest recycled plastics, which will allow for food-grade plastics to return to the food-grade market in higher concentrations up to 100 percent."

Robert Dishman, Geo-Tech senior vice president, says, “Typically, printed or coated plastics are destined to return as black resin and used at very low recycled-content percentages. Our patented cleaning process and chemistry allows Geo-Tech to remove inks and coatings from plastics, thus returning clear printed food-service plastics back into clear reuse opportunities."

Geo-Tech, a wholly owned subsidiary of Wastren Advantage Inc., Piketon, Ohio, provides plastic cleaning solutions that seek to transform low-value plastic scrap into high-quality products.

To accomplish this, the company says it has developed a patented process to remove coatings such as ink, chrome, paint, films and labels from used plastics prior to reprocessing. These coatings can negatively affect the value or utility of recycled plastics if not removed.