Cleveland Kitchen Launches 25% Recycled Plastic Containers in the US

en.Wedoany.com Reported - Cleveland Kitchen plans to launch polypropylene food containers containing 25% post-consumer recycled content later this month, marking the first commercial-scale food contact packaging made with PureCycle Technologies' PureFive resin.

The 24-ounce tub and lid, developed with the assistance of global packaging supplier IPL Schoeller, enable the fermented food company to meet recycled content compliance requirements in New Jersey, California, and other states with similar regulations. In the United States, plastic recycling company PureCycle Technologies uses a dissolution recycling process to remove color, odor, additives, and other impurities from post-consumer polypropylene. The resulting PureFive resin has received GreenCircle certification for recycled content and meets U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) food contact requirements for a variety of applications.

Cleveland Kitchen Chief Product Officer Luke Visnic stated that fermented foods are living products requiring packaging that reflects a commitment to health and the planet; after collaborating with IPL Schoeller and PureCycle, the company obtained containers with significant recycled content that are fully food contact compliant and can be directly printed on labels.

The regulatory environment is driving packaging innovation. New Jersey's Recycled Content Law, effective in 2024, requires rigid plastic containers sold in the state to contain at least 10% post-consumer recycled content, a threshold that will rise to 20% in 2027 when the exemption for food contact packaging expires. PureCycle's PureFive resin has received conditional approval from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, meeting the law's definition of recycled content. Beyond state regulations, major national retailers are also raising sustainability standards, with supermarket chains requiring brand owners to demonstrate progress in sustainable packaging as a condition for shelf placement and contract renewals. Companies also face increasing extended producer responsibility legislation, including recycled content requirements or source reduction targets.

IPL Schoeller, after merging with IPL Global in July 2025, operates 26 production facilities across North America, Europe, and the United Kingdom. Melissa Vettleson, Sustainability and Materials Engineer at IPL Schoeller, stated that this collaboration is a milestone for the company, further solidifying its commitment to reusable and recyclable packaging. Julie Barnwell, Product Manager at IPL Schoeller, noted that the partnership will enable the company to expand its sustainable packaging portfolio, offering products that meet brand expectations for both environmental performance and functionality. PureCycle and IPL Schoeller plan to expand their collaboration to introduce PureFive resin into more products.

The packaging industry has long faced the challenge of providing recycled content without compromising food safety or shelf performance. PureCycle's dissolution recycling technology produces recycled resin with quality comparable to virgin materials. Pete Dias, Senior Director of Market, Application, and Product Development at PureCycle, pointed out that PureFive resin eliminates this trade-off, where food safety, regulatory compliance, performance, and environmental responsibility no longer conflict; this launch with Cleveland Kitchen and IPL Schoeller validates the model's feasibility at commercial scale. As regulatory requirements tighten in North America and internationally, this collaboration establishes a scalable supply infrastructure for PureFive-based rigid packaging to meet compliant recycled content needs for high-volume rigid plastic tubs and lids in the food, personal care, and home product sectors.