PET recycling: NGR achieves positive scientific opinion by EFSA for Liquid State Polycondensation process

Next Generation Recyclingmaschinen GmbH (NGR) has announced that the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has issued a positive Scientific Opinion for NGR´s Liquid State Polycondensation (LSP) Process for advanced PET Recycling. This marks a groundbreaking milestone as LSP becomes the first recycling process to complete evaluation under the updated regulation (EU) 2022/1616, according to the Austria-based company.

The introduction of regulation (EU) 2022/1616 in September 2022 revolutionized food-grade recycling approvals across the EU. Unlike the previous regulation (EC) 282/2008, where individual recyclers sought authorization, the responsibility now lies with developers of decontamination processes. Each approved process is assigned a unique Recycling Process Authorisation Number (RAN) and listed in a public register.

This change, combined with new EFSA guidance imposing stricter evaluation criteria required all recycling machine manufacturers to re-submit their processes for re-evaluation. While processes approved under the old regulation were not guaranteed compliance under the new standards, NGR's  LSP process has successfully demonstrated its exceptional cleaning efficiency, setting a new benchmark in food-grade plastic recycling.

NGR LSP-Process  (Source: NGR)

Liquid State Polycondensation (LSP) process

Unlike traditional solid state polycondensation (SSP), which requires prolonged high-temperature processing in a vacuum, the Liquid State Polycondensation (LSP) Process harnesses the faster reaction rates in the melt phase. This breakthrough approach significantly reduces energy consumption and processing time while delivering high-quality results.

The combination of high molecular agility in the liquid phase and the large surface area of the material strands ensures highly effective purification. The LSP process provides a consistent increase in intrinsic viscosity (IV) levels, with precise control and stability over extended operations. Rigorous challenge testing has proven its exceptional decontamination efficiency, meeting and exceeding the highest food safety standards.

Exceptional results across all machine sizes
NGR submitted its complete dossier for the LSP process in July 2023 and engaged with EFSA to address all questions raised during the rigorous evaluation. The Positive Scientific Opinion, published on January 13, 2025, affirms the high decontamination efficiency of the LSP Technology for all four machine sizes currently available: P:REACT 600, 1200, 2000, and 3000.

P:REACT 2000 plus utilizing LSP-Technology  (Source: NGR)

Pioneering innovation and excellence in PET recycling
“This recognition by EFSA is a testament to the innovative strength and technical expertise of our team,” said Josef Hochreiter, CEO of NGR. “Achieving the first positive Scientific Opinion under the new regulation underscores our commitment to advancing sustainable, food-safe recycling technologies for a circular economy.”

EFSA's Opinion serves as the foundation for final approval by the European Commission, after which the LSP process will be officially assigned its RAN and listed in the public register.

Full EFSA Opinion- Safety assessment of the process NGR LSP used to recycle post-consumer PET into food contact materials: https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/share/EWZFJS7ZPV9PSINMHJNA?target=10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9196