Page 42 - Plastics News - April 2026
P. 42
ENVIRONMENT NEWS
FSSAI CLEARS 17 R-PET PLANTS, UNLOCKING 3 LAKH
TONNES OF FOOD-GRADE RECYCLING CAPACITY
received FSSAI permissions noted that although
the manufacturing units had secured approvals
earlier in the year, these were provisional be-
cause the regulator was still in the process of
assessing quality benchmarks. “All the units had
provisional registrations because there was still
uncertainty around the quality of the material,”
he said, explaining that authorities had opted for
a cautious approach while audits and technical
evaluations were ongoing.
According to Rungta, this interim arrangement
ollowing comprehensive inspections and posed practical challenges for market uptake.
verification of operational standards, per- Brand owners were reluctant to procure recy-
Fmanent authorisations have now been is- cled resin under short-term licences due to com-
sued to the facilities, a development that is go- pliance risks linked to packaging products that
ing to enhance confidence across the packaging would remain in circulation even after a recy-
value chain. With final registrations in place, recy- cler’s approval period ended. “If a brand makes
clers anticipate that sourcing decisions by brand bottles and sends them to the market, and the
owners will become more stable and systematic, recycler’s registration expires or is cancelled in
supporting long-term supply arrangements. the meantime, it becomes a serious concern,” he
explained.
India’s food safety regulator has granted final
authorisations to a total of 17 recycled PET (r- Following comprehensive inspections and veri-
PET) manufacturing facilities, a move expected fication of operational standards, permanent
to unlock nearly 300,000 tonnes of additional authorisations have now been issued to the fa-
capacity for food-grade recycled packaging and cilities, a development that is going to enhance
strengthen the country’s circular packaging eco- confidence across the packaging value chain.
system. The approvals mark a significant step in With final registrations in place, recyclers antici-
enabling brand owners to scale the use of recy- pate that sourcing decisions by brand owners
cled content in beverage bottles and other food will become more stable and systematic, sup-
contact applications, while also signalling great- porting long-term supply arrangements.
er regulatory clarity for recyclers and investors.
Rungta also highlighted that policymakers had
Deepak Rungta, Managing Director of Rungta earlier exercised restraint in enforcing recycled
Eco Extrusions — one of the facilities that has content targets under Extended Producer Re-
44 PLASTICS NEWS April 2026
