Food packaging protects 1.3 billion tons of food annually — without it, food waste would be many times higher. Plastic packaging excels at lightweight, barrier properties, transparency, and cost. Regulatory pressure (PPWR 2026, recyclate mandates) is reshaping material choices toward mono-material structures and bio-based polymers.
Material Use by Packaging Type
Polymer choice optimizes barrier, mechanical, and cost:
Packaging type
Material
Reason
Recyclability
Carbonated beverage bottle (CSD)
PET (mono)
CO₂ barrier, transparency
Excellent (bottle-to-bottle)
Milk bottle
PE-HD (mono)
Cheap, opaque option
Excellent
Carbonated water bottle
PET (mono)
CSD with lower carbonation
Excellent
Yogurt cup
PP or PS (mono)
Heat-seal, microwavable (PP)
PP excellent, PS difficult
Snack bag (chips)
Multi-layer PE/PET/metalized
O₂ + light + moisture barrier
Poor (multi-material)
Fresh meat tray
PET/PE-PE multilayer
Stiffness + heat-seal
Mono-PET trays gaining
Microwavable meal tray
PP-talc 20 %
Heat resistance to 120 °C
Excellent
Fresh produce film
PE-LD or PE-LLD
Stretchability, low cost
Moderate
Frozen food bag
PE-LD + PA 6 (barrier)
Low-T performance + O₂ barrier
Moderate (PA layer)
Bag-in-box pouch
PE/EVOH/PE multilayer
O₂ barrier 6+ months
Difficult
EU 10/2011 — Specific Migration Limits
EU Regulation 10/2011 governs plastics for food contact. Key thresholds:
Substance
SML (mg/kg food)
Note
Overall migration
60 mg/kg or 10 mg/dm²
Total non-volatiles into food simulant
Bisphenol A (BPA) in baby bottles
0 (forbidden 2011)
Restricted; many countries ban BPA fully
Antimony (Sb) from PET catalyst
0.04
Tested with 3 % acetic acid
Acetaldehyde from PET
6 mg/kg (water bottles)
Off-flavor threshold
DEHP from PVC
0 in food-contact PVC (general)
Phased out
DOTP (replacement)
0.5 mg/kg
Used in some food-contact PVC
Primary aromatic amines (from inks)
0.01
Below detection limit
PPWR 2026 Requirements
Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (EU 2025/40, in force Aug 2026) sets ambitious targets: minimum recycled content in plastic packaging (10 % by 2030 for non-food contact, 30 % for PET beverage bottles by 2030, 65 % by 2040). Reuse targets: 10 % of beverage containers reusable by 2030. Recyclability: all plastic packaging must be recyclable by 2030 (Design for Recycling). Restrictions: certain SUP single-use packaging banned (single-serve hotel toiletries, fresh produce film for items <1.5 kg). Compliance via EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) fees scaled by recyclability score.
FAQ — Frequently Asked Questions
PET bottle-to-bottle recycling — how mature?
Very mature. PET is the most recycled plastic globally. Process: collection → sorting → washing → flake → decontamination → pellet → bottle. rPET (recycled PET) achieves food-contact compliance via super-clean processes (Krones MetaFlow, Erema VACUREMA, Starlinger). Major brands (Coca-Cola, Pepsi) target 50 % rPET by 2030. Limits: bottle-cap separation, label removal critical for quality; coloured PET difficult to recycle to clear.
Why is EVOH so widely used?
Ethylene Vinyl Alcohol copolymer has 1000–10000× lower O₂ permeability than PE or PP. 5 µm EVOH layer extends shelf life of meat from 2 days (PE) to 14 days. Used in multi-layer film and tray structures: PE/Tie/EVOH/Tie/PE typical. Limitations: moisture-sensitive (EVOH loses barrier when wet — must be sandwiched between hydrophobic PE layers); not recyclable as PE due to layer; bio-based alternatives (PLA-PHB) under development.
Bioplastics in food packaging?
PLA (Polylactide): rigid containers, cold drinks, salad bowls. Compostable in industrial composting (60 °C). Not curbside-recyclable. Limited heat resistance (HDT 55 °C unfilled). PHA (Polyhydroxyalkanoate): bag films, slowly biodegradable in soil/marine. Cost 3–5× PP. Bio-PE (sugarcane-based PE): identical to fossil PE; recyclable in same stream. Drop-in for sustainability marketing. Bio-PET (30 % bio-MEG): partly bio, fully PET-recyclable.
Migration testing — what is required?
Per EU 10/2011 Annex V: test in food simulants. Simulants: A (10 % ethanol — aqueous food), B (3 % acetic acid — acidic), C (20 % ethanol — alcoholic), D1 (50 % ethanol — fatty), D2 (vegetable oil — very fatty), E (Tenax — dry). Time/temperature: depends on intended use (e.g., 10 days/40 °C for ambient; 1 h/100 °C for hot fill). Specific tests for known substances (SML); overall test for non-volatiles (OML ≤60 mg/kg).
How will PPWR change packaging design?
Major shifts expected: 1) Mono-material structures replace multi-layer (e.g., paper-PE laminate → recyclable paper-PE-mono). 2) Black plastic phaseout (NIR sorters can't detect carbon black — switch to detectable black pigments). 3) Bottle caps tethered (already in force July 2024). 4) Increased recycled content drives chemical recycling investment. 5) Higher EPR fees for non-recyclable packaging. 6) Some products forced to refill systems (laundry detergent concentrates).