OPTIMIZING THE DESIGN OF BARRIER LAYERS FOR PROMOTING THE USE OF RECYCLED MATERIALS FOR FOOD CONTACT

European and national environmental protection policies have programmed the forthcoming end of single-use plastics, including food packaging. Because plastic materials accounts for 50% of plastic waste, closed-loop recycling seems imperative. Still, plastic recycling for food contact other than PET (polyethylene terephtalate) are not widely recycled for food contact due to safety concerns. Among them, postconsumer polyolefins are heavily formulated, degraded, and contaminated by the previously contacting product. Using recycled materials behind a functional barrier (FB) could resolve the issue under specific provisions, but neither the European regulation nor the US FDA offer guidance concerning functional barriers evaluation and use. Mathematical modeling is the only viable method recognized by European and American agencies to evaluate recycled material under usage conditions. This study numerically explores the possibility of combining two effects: decontamination of the recycled material and a functional barrier to allow safe use of the recycled material.