US FDA clears Nova rLLDPE for food contact

Spanish Market: Petrochemicals
20/06/24

The US Food and Drug Administration has cleared post-consumer recycled linear-low density polyethylene (rLLDPE) from Nova Chemicals' Connersville, Indiana, recycling plant for use in food packaging.

The EPA provided Canada-based Novawith a No Objection Letter (NOL), allowing the recycled plastic to be used in food contact applications. This makes Nova the fourth company to receive food contact permission for rLLDPE in the US.

The company received approval for usage of its material with all food types, with acceptable conditions of use including refrigerated, frozen and hot filled food storage.

Nova previously received a NOL for its rHDPE from the same facility in 2023.

Nova said that high interest from converters, retailers and brand owners motivated its push into FDA-grade rLLDPE, as well as a report from consultant McKinsey that forecast rising demand for recycled plastic.

By Zach Kluver

Related news posts

Argus illuminates the markets by putting a lens on the areas that matter most to you. The market news and commentary we publish reveals vital insights that enable you to make stronger, well-informed decisions. Explore a selection of news stories related to this one.

15/07/25

Alt-fuel ship orders fall in 1H25: DNV

Sao Paulo, 15 July (Argus) — Ship orders for new alternative-fuelled vessels fell to 151 in the first half of 2025 compared with 179 a year earlier, according to Norway-based classification agency DNV. These orders represented 19.8mn gross tonnes, up by 78pc from the same period in 2024. LNG-fuelled vessels accounted for 87 of the new orders in the first half, followed by 40 methanol-fuelled ships, 17 LPG-powered vessels, and four hydrogen and three ammonia-fuelled ships. Orders stood at 19 in June, up from 16 in May, with two of these LPG-fuelled carriers. The total fleet of ships that could run on LPG stood at just over 150 in the final quarter of last year , with around 126 on order by 2028 following the latest additions, as orders lag other fuel types despite low prices because of safety issues and a lack of four-stroke engines. New orders, 1H 2025 Fuel Number of vessels LNG-fueled 87 Methanol-fueled 40 LPG-fueled 17 Hydrogen-fueled 4 Ammonia-fueled 3 DNV Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

EU chemical plan neglects immediate pressures: Ineos

15/07/25

EU chemical plan neglects immediate pressures: Ineos

London, 15 July (Argus) — The EU's new chemical industry plan fails to respond to key immediate pressures on Europe's industry, UK-based Ineos had said. These pressures include the high cost of natural gas and the growing cost of carbon emissions, it said. The European Commission proposed its European Chemicals Industry Plan on 8 July to help the EU sector tackle high energy costs, global competition and weak demand. The commission said its plan could save the sector €363mn/yr. Without action, the competitiveness of European industry may erode, and investment may shift elsewhere, Ineos said. It said its integrated petrochemicals facility in Cologne, Germany, costs €240mn/yr ($280mn) more to operate than it would in the US because of the higher gas, electricity and carbon bills in Europe. More than 20 chemical plants have closed in Europe in the past two years, according to Ineos. "Immediate reduction of gas pricing and removal of carbon costs must be the next step if we are serious about maintaining a chemical industry in Europe." Ineos said. The European Chemical Industrial Council (Cefic) said the Chemical Industry Action Plan is an important step towards improving the competitiveness and resilience of the EU chemical industry. "Co-ordinated action by member states is now urgently needed to turn this signal into results," it said. "Each day of inaction further weakens European industry." By Tim van Gardingen Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Mass-balance consultation questions remain: BlueAlp

11/07/25

Mass-balance consultation questions remain: BlueAlp

London, 11 July (Argus) — Some uncertainty remains over the correct interpretation of the draft of rules governing the inclusion of chemically-recycled plastics towards EU recycled content targets, BlueAlp chief executive Valentijn De Neve told Argus , but he said that an initial reading threw up some encouraging signs and some concerns. The European Commission opened a public consultation on a draft update of the implementing decision for the Single-Use Plastic Directive (SUPD) — which would provide details on how the 25pc recycled content requirement for PET beverage bottles can be met — on 8 July. It includes proposed rules around the use of mass-balance accounting to allocate chemically-recycled content. It is seen by many in the industry as a likely precedent for the rules that will apply to the EU's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which will become the primary legislation governing recycled content targets for plastic packaging from 2030. De Neve said that he is still looking to understand the full connotations of the draft document put forward by the commission. At first reading he is encouraged that it appears to open up the possibility of plastic-derived pyrolysis oil (PPO) being processed in existing assets — refineries — as well as on-purpose upgrading facilities. This is "key in getting [the PPO market] to a realistic and larger market, and to fulfil the sustainability criteria that we've jointly set", he said. De Neve expressed some possible reservations on whether recognition of what share of input "really translates into circular plastics versus what becomes fuel" when the supply chain includes a refinery step has been "sufficiently captured" in the draft. But he said that he would discuss this within the Chemical Recycling Europe industry association, which would co-ordinate a response to the consultation. De Neve also said that the proposed extension of the definition of post-consumer plastic waste to include waste from products placed in non-EU markets — which would enable recyclates based on non-EU waste to count towards the recycled content targets — risks attracting import pressure from producers in lower-cost regions without sufficient additional controls. "We need to make sure… whether you're operating inside or outside the EU, that the same rules apply and it's a level playing field", he said. PPWR contains a so-called "mirror clause" stating that recyclers from outside the EU should be held to the same environmental standards as domestic operators. But no such clause exists in the SUPD, or elsewhere in the draft implementing decision released under consultation. By Will Collins Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Europe ELV directive may not be ambitious enough: EuRIC

09/07/25

Europe ELV directive may not be ambitious enough: EuRIC

London, 9 July (Argus) — European circular automotive ambitions are at risk before they have started, according to European recycling industries association EuRIC. Following the European Parliament's vote on the end of life vehicles (ELV) directive yesterday , EuRIC warned that low recycled content targets, loopholes and legal uncertainties risk holding back the investments and market confidence needed to scale Europe's circular ELV economy in practice. The parliament's committees agreed on a reduced recycled content target for plastics to 20pc, with only 10pc post-consumer, and a closed-loop target to 15pc, within six years of the rules' entry into force. The recycled content target is increased to 25pc within 10 years of entry into force, but half of the target can be met with pre-consumer waste. EuRIC said the vote on ELV regulation is a welcome step for the industry but feels the targets fall short of the potential for the market, ignoring the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) evidence that higher post-consumer recycled content targets are feasible and realistic. Unclear review clauses add further risk for recyclers already facing a 30pc recycling obligation without guaranteed markets according to the association. With the European recycling industry under pressure, EuRIC also highlighted the lack of a mirror clause for imports under fair conditions further threatens European recyclers. The association urged co-legislators to strengthen targets and close loopholes in the next steps of negotiations. By Chloe Kinner Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

EU opens chemical recycling mass balance consultation

08/07/25

EU opens chemical recycling mass balance consultation

London, 8 July (Argus) — The European Commission has opened a public consultation on chemical recycling, specifically related to a proposed update to the implementing decision for the Single-Use Plastics Directive (SUPD). The draft update includes rules for mass-balance accounting of chemically-recycled content towards the SUPD's recycled content targets, and would allow recyclates produced from non-EU post-consumer waste to count towards EU targets. The commission is seeking feedback on a proposed fuel use-excluded approach to mass balance accounting. In this, the amount of circular feedstock eligible to be assigned as recycled content to polymers would be calculated by taking the amount fed into a steam cracker and assigning it to one of four output groups — non-fuels, fuels, losses and dual-use outputs — based on the proportion of each that the cracker produces. Cracker operators could then allocate an amount of recycled content — sometimes termed by market participants as recycled credits — to their products, equal to the amount of eligible feedstock assigned to the non-fuels output group, or to any dual-use outputs that can be provably shown to be retained in the chemical/polymer chain rather than entering the fuels chain. The draft document also lays out rules for allocating recycled content to cracker feedstock where mass balance accounting is required before the steam cracker stage of the polymer production process, which Argus understands to be a reference to refining or pre-treatment of pyrolysis oil. This would be based on the amount of recycled feedstock input into the refining or pre-treatment plant that evaporates below the maximum feedstock boiling point the intended steam cracker customer can accept, as a ratio to the total amount of material input into the former plant. The same ratio of recycled content could then be applied to materials supplied to the steam cracker customer. Basing allocation of recycled content on input before the steam cracker stage, rather than output, would appear to open the door to processing of pyrolysis oil in refineries that produce mainly fuels, without a large proportion of credits being lost to the fuels pool under fuel use-exempt rules. Argus is seeking clarification on this. In addition to the mass balance rules, the draft extends the definition of post-consumer plastic waste to include that produced from products placed on the market outside the EU. This would align the definition with that used in the recently-adopted Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, and mean recyclates based on non-EU waste could count towards the 25pc recycled content for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) beverage bottles contained in the SUPD. The consultation will run until 19 August. By Will Collins Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Business intelligence reports

Get concise, trustworthy and unbiased analysis of the latest trends and developments in oil and energy markets. These reports are specially created for decision makers who don’t have time to track markets day-by-day, minute-by-minute.

Learn more

US FDA clears Nova rLLDPE for food contact

Related news posts

Alt-fuel ship orders fall in 1H25: DNV

Alt-fuel ship orders fall in 1H25: DNV

EU chemical plan neglects immediate pressures: Ineos

EU chemical plan neglects immediate pressures: Ineos

Mass-balance consultation questions remain: BlueAlp

Mass-balance consultation questions remain: BlueAlp

Europe ELV directive may not be ambitious enough: EuRIC

Europe ELV directive may not be ambitious enough: EuRIC

EU opens chemical recycling mass balance consultation

EU opens chemical recycling mass balance consultation

Business intelligence reports

Argus EO and Derivatives

Argus EO and Derivatives

Argus Recycled Polymers

Argus Recycled Polymers

Argus Methanol Daily

Argus Chlor-Alkali Analytics

Argus Toluene, Xylenes and Isomers Pet