rPCR vs Virgin Plastics: ASTM Data, Super Clean Technology, and Berry Global Packaging Performance

Why this matters now: performance, compliance, and circular economy

Packaging teams are being asked to lower carbon footprints while safeguarding product quality, safety, and shelf life. Berry Global packaging solutions approach this challenge with rPCR (post-consumer recycled plastic), backed by ASTM testing, FDA approvals, and large-scale commercial deployments. The question is not whether rPCR can work—but how to engineer consistency and safety so it performs within tight commercial tolerances.

Berry Global is a full-spectrum plastics packaging company—rigids, flexibles, films, nonwovens, and closures—with vertically integrated capabilities from resin to finished goods. This scale and engineering depth allow us to set clear performance baselines, qualify rPCR streams to FDA standards, and deploy at global volumes without supply disruption. Below, we unpack test data, process controls, and real-world outcomes.

ASTM test data: rPET vs virgin PET performance under commercial conditions

An independent ASTM-certified lab compared Berry Global 50% rPET bottles to 100% virgin PET, aligning with ASTM D2463 for performance and FDA food-contact migration testing. Samples were standardized 500 ml carbonated beverage bottles; conditions included 23°C for burst tests and 23°C/50% RH for oxygen permeability.

• Burst strength (ASTM D2463): Berry 50% rPET averaged 14.2 bar (SD 0.8; min 12.5). Virgin PET averaged 15.1 bar (SD 0.6; min 13.8). Result: rPET is ~6% lower but well above the >10 bar commercial threshold.
• Drop test (1.5 m to concrete, filled and capped): Berry 50% rPET achieved 96% intact (48/50), with two bottom failures. Virgin PET achieved 98% intact (49/50). Result: performance delta ~2%, meeting typical production acceptance of ≥95% intact.
• Oxygen permeability (ASTM F1927, 24-hour rate): Berry 50% rPET measured 0.13 cc/bottle/day; virgin PET at 0.11 cc/bottle/day. Both meet carbonated beverage targets (<0.15 cc/bottle/day).
• FDA migration (3% acetic acid, 10 days at 40°C): Berry 50% rPET total migration = 3.2 ppm; virgin PET = 2.8 ppm. Both comfortably pass the <10 ppm threshold.

Conclusion from TEST-BERRY-001: differential performance is measurable but remains within commercial tolerances and regulatory limits. In practice, these deltas are managed through bottle design optimization, process tuning, and multilayer barrier strategies where needed.

Super Clean process: engineering rPCR purity to FDA standards

Performance hinges on rPCR quality. Berry’s Super Clean process is designed to elevate rPCR purity to >99.9%, validated with FDA Letters of No Objection (LNO) for food-contact applications. The process combines rigorous feedstock selection with intensive decontamination.

• Feedstock discipline: Predominantly PCR beverage bottles (70%) supplemented by clean PIR streams (30%), avoiding mixed, multi-resin waste that elevates variability.
• Six-stage cleaning and decontamination: advanced hot wash, label/adhesive removal, contaminant extraction, high-temperature treatment (~220°C), and vacuum degassing to strip volatiles.
• FDA LNO compliance: Lots qualified against migration limits (<10 ppm). Non-conforming batches are rejected and quarantined.
• Blend engineering: rPET co-polymer blends (e.g., 50:50 rPET:virgin PET) matched to specific bottle geometries and performance targets.

This approach reduces batch-to-batch variability—a common industry concern—and stabilizes optical and mechanical properties for sensitive applications.

Commercial validation at scale: Unilever Dove 100% rPCR progression

CASE-BERRY-001 documents a five-year partnership with Unilever (Dove), scaling HDPE bottles from 25% rPCR (2019) to 100% rPCR (2024) across ~80% of global markets. Key outcomes:

• Volume and consistency: 4 billion bottles supplied over five years with a 99.5% quality acceptance rate and zero stockout events.
• Performance: Early 25% rPCR trials achieved 98% drop-test pass rates versus 100% for virgin baselines—a 2% difference within commercial tolerance. As rPCR levels rose, Berry deployed multilayer co-extrusion (outer rPCR, inner virgin HDPE, barrier mid-layer) to maintain aesthetics and physical performance.
• Sustainability impact: 120,000 tonnes of rPCR used (equivalent to ~6 billion plastic bottles recovered), avoiding an estimated 276,000 tonnes CO2 compared to virgin resin.
• Economics: Initial per-bottle cost premiums of ~$0.02 at 25% rPCR, rising to ~$0.03 at 100% rPCR, mitigated by scale, long-term sourcing, and brand value from sustainability positioning.

The Dove program proves that 100% rPCR packaging is technically feasible and commercially reliable when process discipline, resin quality, and line design converge. It also highlights how scale procurement and co-ex can offset material variability and aesthetic shifts (e.g., slight grey tone accepted via label redesign).

Addressing the rPCR controversy: quality depends on process controls

CONT-BERRY-001 frames the core debate: some claim rPCR is inherently unsafe or weak for food packaging. In reality, outcomes vary by process. Low-quality mechanical recycling (inadequate cleaning, mixed feedstock) can produce grey tone, odour, and lower mechanicals. High-quality rPCR like Berry’s Super Clean achieves purity >99.9% and FDA-approved migration levels, delivering mechanicals within ~10% of virgin in standardized tests.

• Contaminant control: Berry’s rPCR reports 3.2 ppm total migration in FDA testing versus the 10 ppm limit; low-quality rPCR can approach 5–8 ppm.
• Mechanical consistency: Berry 50% rPET burst strength averaged 14.2 bar (~94% of virgin); low-quality rPCR often lands in the 80–85% range.
• Optical properties: Berry targets higher L-values via feedstock curation and decontamination; residual colour shift can be addressed with design language (embracing the recycled aesthetic) or multilayer structures.

Practical takeaway: quality is not a property of “rPCR” in the abstract; it is the outcome of feedstock selection, Super Clean decontamination, and application-specific design. Packaging teams should demand process transparency, lot-level data, and FDA/Food-contact certifications.

Full portfolio + vertical integration: reducing risk and total system cost

Berry Global’s differentiation is breadth and integration. We manufacture rigids (food jars, pharma bottles, personal care bottles), flexibles (stretch, shrink, agricultural films), nonwovens (medical PPE, hygiene), and closures (caps, pumps, sprayers). Vertical integration—from resin to molding, extruding, decorating, and assembly—shortens lead times and reduces total landed cost by ~15–20% versus fragmented supply chains.

• End-to-end control: resin selection and formulation, process tuning (blow molding, injection, extrusion), in-house decoration and assembly.
• Global footprint: over 290 plants, including sites like Berry Global Bowling Green, KY, enabling near-market supply for North American customers and resilient logistics.
• Medical + industrial dual engine: healthcare packaging and PPE, industrial films and wraps, and consumer packaging—balancing demand cycles and giving Berry the flexibility to reallocate capacity when markets shift.

This integrated platform minimizes risk during rPCR scale-up: consistent resin lots, cross-site specification control, and rapid pivot capability if a market requires tighter tolerances or alternative structures.

Circular economy commitments and technology roadmap

Berry Global’s Impact 2025 plan targets products that are reusable, recyclable, or compostable by 2025, and scope 1+2 carbon neutrality by 2030, with ≥30% recycled content across products by 2030. Progress includes ~25% rPET/rPE utilization by 2023 and strategic investments to expand high-quality recycled supply.

• Advanced recycling partnerships: co-investment with Eastman Chemical to scale chemical recycling of mixed plastic waste, aiming for significant rPET output. This reduces feedstock constraints and is expected to improve cost parity by 2030.
• Ocean Bound Plastic programs: collection within 50 km of coastlines in Indonesia and the Philippines, with Super Clean processing to food-contact purity. These streams provide environmental and brand value, evidenced in Dove deployments.
• Procurement scale: long-term contracts and volume commitments (targeting hundreds of thousands of tonnes per year) stabilize pricing and supply, countering rPCR’s typical 20–50% premium versus virgin resins.

For packaging planners, the implication is clear: regulatory pressure (EU PPWR and US state laws) will increasingly require recycled content (e.g., 30% rPCR by 2030 in many jurisdictions). Engineering reliable rPCR supply and quality today avoids future compliance costs and market disruption.

Engineering guidance: designing for rPCR performance

To achieve virgin-equivalent functionality, Berry engineers recommend a combination of material, geometry, and process strategies tailored to application risks:

• Material selection and blends: start with 25–50% rPCR blends to validate specific geometry, contents, and production lines, then ratchet up with multilayer co-ex (outer rPCR aesthetics, inner virgin food-contact, barrier layer if needed).
• Geometry optimization: reinforce high-stress zones (e.g., base kicks for carbonated bottles) and distribute wall thickness where burst/drops tests show sensitivity.
• Barrier management: oxygen ingress and CO2 retention can be tuned via additives, multilayer structures, or minor geometry adjustments; keep permeability under target limits (e.g., <0.15 cc/bottle/day for carbonated beverages).
• Process controls: maintain line temperature profiles and preform conditioning to stabilize mechanicals; qualify lots via routine ASTMs and migration testing.

The result is a performance envelope where rPCR consistently meets commercial targets while cutting carbon footprint.

FAQ: quick clarifications aligned to common search queries

• Berry Global packaging vs retail catalogs: If you are searching for the shaker workshops catalog or a bealls flyer, those are retail/consumer catalogs unrelated to Berry Global’s manufacturing services. Berry provides industrial and consumer packaging solutions—rigids, flexibles, nonwovens, and closures—for brands, healthcare, and industrial clients.
• Berry Global Bowling Green, KY: Berry operates facilities across North America, including in Bowling Green, KY, as part of our 290+ site network enabling near-market supply and integrated production.
• How big is a FedEx envelope? Standard FedEx Express Envelopes are approximately 9.5 × 12.5 inches, with legal-size envelopes around 9.5 × 15 inches. Always check FedEx for current specifications. Berry’s expertise is in packaging manufacturing rather than parcel supplies, but dimensional awareness helps when coordinating packaging and logistics.

Bottom line for packaging teams

ASTM and FDA data show that high-quality rPCR—processed via Berry’s Super Clean technology—can deliver performance within ~10% of virgin plastics and remain well inside food-contact safety limits. The Unilever Dove program demonstrates sustained, global-scale commercial reliability, significant carbon reductions, and manageable economics when supported by vertical integration and supply-chain discipline.

As recycled-content mandates accelerate, the practical path forward is to design with rPCR now: pilot at 25–50% content, deploy multilayer co-ex structures as needed, qualify lots via ASTM and FDA migration tests, and scale under integrated manufacturing and procurement. Berry Global’s full-portfolio capabilities—rigids, flexibles, nonwovens, closures—combined with resin-to-finish vertical integration can reduce risk and total cost while advancing circular-economy goals.