Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) is a polymer material widely used in the food packaging industry, with PET plastic bottles leading the sector. According to data released by China Business Intelligence, global bottle-grade PET production capacity and output have both increased in recent years. Global capacity grew from 27 million tons in 2014 to 34.87 million tons in 2022, with an average annual growth rate of about 3.25%. In 2020, China's PET production reached approximately 9.522 million tons, with consumption at 6.5975 million tons, of which polyester fibers accounted for about 75%, and polyester bottle chips made up 20% (around 1.3 million tons). The rising consumption of PET has led to a significant accumulation of waste PET bottles, posing substantial environmental pressure. To address this issue, recycling technologies and regulatory measures for food-contact recycled PET materials have become a global focus. In recent years, notable progress has been made in this field both domestically and internationally, but many challenges remain.
PET is an excellent thermoplastic polymer material with high strength, good transparency, and superior chemical resistance. Depending on its application, it can be categorized into fiber-grade and non-fiber-grade products. Fiber-grade products mainly include polyester filament and staple fiber, while non-fiber-grade products consist of bottle-grade and film-grade PET. PET is often processed into plastic bottles for food packaging due to its outstanding properties, securing a dominant position in the plastic food packaging industry. This article aims to comprehensively review the current state of recycling technologies and regulations for food-contact recycled PET materials worldwide, providing a reference for the development of related industries in China.
1. Regulatory Status
1.1 Domestic Regulatory Status
China has made progress in establishing laws, regulations, and standards for recycled plastic food packaging, but the system remains incomplete. Currently, China's food-contact material standards consist of four parts: basic standards, product standards, testing method standards, and specification standards. The basic standard is GB 9685—2008 *Hygienic Standard for Additives in Food Containers and Packaging Materials*. Product standards are divided into safety and quality standards, while testing method standards primarily include analytical methods for product safety and migration testing. Specification standards include GB/T 23887—2009 *General Good Manufacturing Practices for Food Packaging Container and Material Manufacturers* and industry standards for food-contact material production. These standards cover plastics, rubber, paper, glass, ceramics, coatings, metals, and composite materials.
The hygiene requirements for polyethylene (PE) in China are specified in GB/T 5009.60—2003 *Analytical Methods for Hygienic Standards of Polyethylene, Polystyrene, and Polypropylene Products for Food Packaging*. Additionally, additives used in PE production must comply with GB 9685—2008, similar to the EU's positive list system. Dai Houlang, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), has proposed accelerating policies for the closed-loop recycling of food-contact recycled plastics and improving the standard system. The National Health Commission's Food Safety Risk Assessment Center is leading research on the status and technology of recycled plastics for food contact, which is expected to expedite the establishment of a regulatory framework tailored to China's conditions.
1.2 International Regulatory Status
- United States: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates recycled plastics for food contact, requiring them to meet the same standards as virgin materials. The FDA has issued industry guidelines for evaluating recycling processes.
- European Union: The EU has established new rules for food-contact recycled plastics, clarifying requirements for materials, sources, recycling processes, standards, documentation, labeling, and more. Approval from the UK Food Standards Agency is required before recycled plastics can enter the market, retaining the European Commission's relevant requirements.
- Canada: Recycled plastics for food packaging must comply with regulations, and new materials require approval after review.
- Japan: The country has a comprehensive legal framework for waste recycling, with clear requirements for PET bottle sorting and recycling.
- South Korea: The *Food Sanitation Act* has been amended to allow physically recycled materials in food-contact applications, with a certification process in place.
- India: Revised plastic waste management rules permit the use of recycled plastics in food-contact materials, provided they meet relevant standards.
2. Recycling Technologies
2.1 Significance of Waste PET Bottle Recycling
The continuous increase in waste PET bottles poses severe environmental risks. For example, Changsha City, with a population of over 10 million, has 810,000 primary school students. Assuming each student consumes one bottled water per school day (240 days/year), the PET consumption ranges from 3,499.2 to 4,860 tons annually—just from schoolchildren. Without effective recycling, this would lead to significant pollution.
Recycling PET also conserves resources. Producing 1 ton of virgin PET requires 3-5 tons of petroleum. In 2020, China consumed about 1.3 million tons of PET bottles, with a 94% recycling rate, saving 3.9-6.5 million tons of petroleum. Compared to virgin PET, recycled PET reduces CO2 emissions by 59% and energy consumption by 76%, promoting sustainability and cost savings.
2.2 Challenges in Waste PET Bottle Recycling
Current recycling methods—mechanical, chemical, and biological—each have limitations:
- Mechanical recycling degrades product performance.
- Chemical recycling is costly.
- Biological recycling is slow.
Additionally, China's regulatory framework for food-contact recycled PET is underdeveloped, complicating oversight. Consumer concerns about safety and quality also hinder market acceptance.
2.3 Recycling Technologies for Waste PET Bottles
2.3.1 Mechanical Recycling
Mechanical recycling involves physical processing:
Process: Cleaning→Crushing→Drying→Melting→Extrusion→Pelletizing→Product.
While this method preserves PET's structure, polymer chain breakage reduces performance, limiting applications to low-value products. Innovations like spectral sorting and optimized pelletizing can improve efficiency and quality. Combining mechanical recycling with nanotechnology (e.g., surface modification) can enhance barrier and heat resistance.
2.3.2 Chemical Recycling
Chemical recycling depolymerizes PET into monomers or oligomers for repolymerization. Methods include:
- Hydrolysis, Glycolysis, and Saccharolysis, often enhanced by catalysts.
Research focuses on improving depolymerization efficiency and purity. For example, Jiang Tao et al. used catalytic technology for mild, high-yield depolymerization, while Xu Hansong combined microwave-assisted methods to reduce byproducts.
2.3.3 Biological Recycling
This eco-friendly method uses enzymes or microbes to degrade PET:
- Enzymatic hydrolysis breaks PET into terephthalic acid (PTA) and ethylene glycol (EG) under mild conditions, but enzymes are expensive and slow. Genetic engineering can enhance enzyme stability and activity.
- Microbial degradation leverages engineered microbes for complete PET breakdown. Yan et al. achieved 100% degradation using a "bacteria-enzyme" synergy.
3. Future Trends
3.1 Regulatory Trends
- Strengthening quality standards and market准入 for food-contact recycled PET.
- Enhancing intellectual property protection for recycling innovations.
- Promoting industry-academia collaboration for R&D and talent development.
- Increasing public awareness of recycled PET's safety and benefits.
- Global harmonization of standards through international cooperation.
3.2 Technological Trends
- Scaling up solid-state polycondensation (SSP) to produce food-grade recycled PET with virgin-like properties.
- Advancing smart recycling systems using AI and sensors for efficient sorting.
- Developing green technologies (e.g., biological recycling) to reduce environmental impact.
- Market-driven industry consolidation, with large firms leading innovation and SMEs specializing in niche applications.
4. Summary and Outlook
Recycling food-contact PET is vital for sustainability and environmental protection. While progress has been made in technology and regulation, challenges persist. Future efforts should focus on:
- Advancing recycling technologies for higher efficiency and quality.
- Refining regulatory frameworks to ensure safety.
- Boosting public acceptance and market demand.
- Fostering global collaboration to establish unified standards.
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