From Landfills and Oceans to Innovation
Verdeco has been transforming the way environmentally conscious companies view and create sustainable packaging solutions for over a decade. As the demand for environmentally sustainable packaging continues to rise, it makes sense that packaging producers and consumer brands are increasing their efforts to procure FDA-approved, food-grade recycled plastic (rPET). To meet this demand, Verdeco turns post-consumer waste into high-performance rPET pellets engineered for exceptional quality and consistency.
But, have you ever wondered how Verdeco does it?
Our cutting-edge Innovation Center gives us the unique ability to create custom solutions that meet the requirements of our customers’ end-use applications. Here we explore the Vedeco rPET pellet lifecycle beginning with how we divert ocean- and landfill-bound waste and transform it into food-grade recycled plastic through the Verdeco process.
Changing the World, Beginning at the Source
The rPET pellet lifecycle begins with Verdeco’s strict sourcing standards. We use only 100% post-consumer PET flake, ensuring that every Verdeco pellet diverts plastic from oceans and landfills.
Every incoming batch of post-consumer PET flake undergoes a thorough quality inspection — analyzing color, moisture content, and flake size to ensure it meets our exacting criteria for clarity and consistency. This input screening is a critical first step in maintaining the integrity of the recycled PET manufacturing process.
Can tiny plastic pellets change the world? We believe they can.
Precision Blending for Precise Application
Whether destined for food and beverage packaging or a different application, every Verdeco flake blend is optimized for downstream performance and consistency. Following inspection, PET flake enters the blending phase, where our process engineers formulate precise blends designed to meet the functional requirements and specifications of each client’s final applications.
This tailored approach allows us to support a wide range of packaging formats and resin specifications without compromising quality or structural integrity — an increasingly vital capability for converters and procurement teams facing regulatory pressure and performance demands.
Metal Detection and Magnetic Separation for Uncompromising Purity
To ensure downstream compliance and processability, the blended flake undergoes a series of thorough purification steps. Our in-line metal detection and magnetic separation remove ferrous metals, while advanced drying systems eliminate residual moisture that could compromise IV levels or final product aesthetics.
This rigorous front-end decontamination is necessary to prepare the flake for extrusion and sets the stage for a clean, consistent melt — an essential factor in delivering industry-leading rPET that meets FDA requirements.
Advanced Extrusion and Proprietary Degassing
Clean, dried flake is transformed into food-grade recycled plastic through Verdeco’s extrusion system, a tightly controlled melt and degassing process. During this process, crystalized flakes are melted and passed through 50 micron screens, and finally, a precision vacuum system to remove any remaining contaminants.
Next, Verdeco introduces proprietary recipes, adjusting resin properties per customer specifications. At this stage, the rPET is pelletized and crystallized, completing the initial conversion into pellet form. Low IV applications are fulfilled here, while pellets that require higher purity and intrinsic viscosity move on to an additional step: solid state polymerization.
Elevating Performance: Solid-State Polymerization
Many newly formed pellets undergo further decontamination and enhancement in our Solid State Polymerization reactors. The process increases intrinsic viscosity (IV), strengthens molecular chains, and brings the rPET into full compliance with FDA requirements for food contact materials.
Each batch is subjected to final testing and quality assurance before being bagged and prepped for shipping. By this point, every pellet has completed its closed-loop rPET journey — from waste to high-performance resin, with purity and performance engineered into every stage.
Less Waste. Less Worry.
Every pellet produced by Verdeco’s closed-loop rPET process represents plastic diverted from landfills and oceans. By prioritizing your needs and providing a consistent supply of high-quality rPET from a U.S.-based supplier, Verdeco gives you the confidence to create the eco-friendly packaging consumers want while accomplishing your company’s sustainability goals.
