UFlex receive USFDA approval for recycled polyethylene in food packaging

USA – UFlex, India’s largest multinational flexible packaging and solutions company, has reached a significant milestone by becoming the first Indian company to receive U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) approval for its recycled polyethylene (rPE) in food-contact applications.

This breakthrough paves the way for more sustainable food packaging while enabling global brands to advance their environmental goals.

The USFDA approval validates UFlex’s super-clean recycling process, which can de-ink post-consumer recycled (PCR) materials by more than 95%, making it one of the most advanced recycling processes globally.

This development aligns with international standards for food safety and underscores UFlex’s commitment to sustainability, innovation, and the circular economy.

UFlex is investing INR 317 crore (US$38m) in advanced recycling infrastructure, including two new plants at its Noida facility to support this momentum.

With a combined annual processing capacity of 39,600 metric tonnes of plastic waste, the facilities will scale up the production of rPET and rPE for food packaging applications.

The investment supports India’s legislative push for sustainability and reinforces the industry’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) goals.

“In line with our commitment to the Indian government’s EPR legislation, we are proud to strengthen our recycling capabilities,” said Jeevaraj Gopal Pillai, Whole-Time Director and President of Flexible Packaging and New Product Development at UFlex.

“Our enhanced operations will help brand owners meet their EPR commitments and set a global benchmark for sustainable packaging.”

Pillai further emphasized UFlex’s longstanding focus on innovation, “Three decades ago, when recycling was still an emerging concept, we saw the potential to transform waste into value.

“Our early investments in recycling multi-layered plastic waste—then considered non-recyclable—proved that innovation can drive meaningful change.”

He added, “Receiving the first-ever USFDA approval for an Indian company in food-contact recycling is a proud moment—not just for UFlex, but for India. It showcases our country’s growing leadership in sustainable innovation and highlights our potential to contribute meaningfully to the global sustainability agenda.”

UFlex has also applied for USFDA certification for recycled polypropylene (PP). If approved, it would become the first company in the flexible packaging sector with the ability to recycle all three key packaging materials—PET, PE, and PP—for food-contact use.

While India currently lacks specific guidelines for using rPE in food packaging, the EPR framework mandates incorporating recycled content.

UFlex is actively collaborating with regulatory bodies such as the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) to help shape safe and effective standards for rPE usage in food applications.

UFlex operates recycling plants in India, Poland, Egypt, and Mexico, processing post-consumer waste streams such as multi-layered mixed plastic (MLP), multi-layer aseptic packaging (MLAP), and PET.

It remains the only Indian company developing innovative recycling solutions for flexible MLP and PCR materials domestically and globally.

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