(Photo Credit: Anastasia Taioglou on Unsplash)The US Food and Drug Administration has given the go-ahead to Envision Plastics for use of the company’s post-consumer resin called OceanBound plastic in food packaging.
Envision Plastics says that the FDA issued a letter of non-objection to OceanBound Plastic’s suitability at levels as high as 100% in recycled high-density polyethylene (HDPE) packaging for all food types.
Several years ago the company began forming partnerships with local communities in at-risk areas around the world to recover waste plastic before it can gets into the ocean. Envision defines an at-risk zone as a location within 31 miles of a coastline that scientific research indicates is most likely to generate land-based marine debris.
“Historically, efforts to protect oceans from plastic have focused on removing the material after it reached a beach or entered a waterway, but these efforts have failed to collect meaningful volumes,” the company says. In response, Envision launched OceanBound plastic in 2017.
Working with partners at the source of the plastic, Envision uses its global supply chain and manufacturing capabilities to turn the material collected into OceanBound Plastic, a resin the company says can be readily integrated into existing manufacturing processes.
“Research shows that 56% of Americans say they want sustainable options for the product packaging they purchase,” Envision said. “In a survey of Consolidated Container Company customers, 64% believed that consumers will prefer recycled or bio-based resin packaging in the next few years.”
The company’s EcoPrime product made from recycled food and beverage packaging that undergoes a patented cleaning process has met FDA requirements for food packaging since 1988, according to Envision.
