rPCR vs Virgin Plastics in Packaging: ASTM Data and Berry Global’s Super Clean Process

Why the rPCR performance debate matters for packaging engineers

Across consumer packaged goods, healthcare, and industrial applications, the question is no longer whether recycled plastics will enter mission-critical packaging—policy, retailer scorecards, and brand commitments have already made that decision. The operational question is how to specify, validate, and scale high-quality rPCR in a way that preserves performance, safety, and brand experience. Berry Global, a full-spectrum plastics packaging leader (rigid containers, flexible films, nonwovens, and closures) with vertically integrated capabilities from resin to finished goods, has spent years engineering rPCR to meet real-world requirements. The company’s dual engine of healthcare and industrial markets, combined with Impact 2025 goals, positions its teams to address rigorous performance and compliance demands.

In this technical analysis, we examine Berry Global’s rPCR performance versus virgin materials using independent ASTM data, unpack the Super Clean process that enables FDA food-contact approval, and review commercial validation through a 5-year global program with Unilever’s Dove. We also provide practical design guidance and a balanced perspective on the well-known rPCR performance controversy to help engineers make confident, specification-level decisions.

ASTM test deep-dive: Berry 50% rPET bottle vs 100% virgin PET

An independent, ASTM-certified laboratory evaluated Berry Global’s 500 ml beverage bottle made with 50% rPET and 50% virgin PET against a standard 100% virgin PET control. Testing adhered to recognized methods for carbonated beverage packaging and food-contact safety.

• Burst strength (ASTM D2463, 23°C): Berry 50% rPET averaged 14.2 bar (SD 0.8), minimum 12.5 bar; 100% virgin PET averaged 15.1 bar (SD 0.6), minimum 13.8 bar. Result: ~6% lower on average for the rPET blend, but comfortably above typical commercial minimums (>10 bar).
• Drop test (1.5 m, filled, capped): Berry 50% rPET passed 96% (48/50 intact), with 2 bottom failures; the virgin PET control passed 98% (49/50 intact), with 1 bottom failure. Result: a 2 percentage-point gap within normal commercial tolerance (>95%).
• Oxygen transmission (ASTM F1927, 23°C, 50% RH): Berry 50% rPET measured 0.13 cc/bottle/day vs. virgin PET at 0.11 cc/bottle/day. Result: both meet carbonated beverage requirements (<0.15 cc/bottle/day); the rPET blend is ~18% higher but within spec.
• FDA food-contact migration (3% acetic acid, 40°C, 10 days): Berry 50% rPET total migration 3.2 ppm; virgin PET at 2.8 ppm. Result: both well below the 10 ppm limit for total migration under test conditions.

Interpreting these results for design: the rPET blend’s mechanical and barrier deltas are measurable but small (generally <10% variance) and remain within typical commercial standards for carbonated beverages. Engineers should treat these deltas as design inputs, not blockers, and can mitigate them through bottle geometry refinement, wall thickness optimization, and barrier strategies keyed to shelf-life targets. The FDA migration performance confirms food-contact suitability when paired with a validated cleaning and decontamination process.

Inside Berry Global’s Super Clean process and why it matters

The difference between high-performing, food-grade rPCR and inconsistent, lower-quality recyclate is process control. Berry Global’s Super Clean approach is designed to achieve >99.9% purity in rPCR feeds suitable for direct food contact, backed by FDA Letters of No Objection (LNO).

Key steps in the rPET stream include:

• Source control and sorting: Predominantly post-consumer beverage bottles (PCR) with a controlled proportion of post-industrial regrind (PIR), improving feedstock consistency and chemistry.
• Intensive washing and label removal: Mechanical and chemical washing cycles, including hot washing and rinsing, to strip residues, inks, and adhesives.
• High-temperature treatment: Thermal steps (~220°C in relevant process stages) help volatilize and remove residual contaminants alongside controlled melt filtration.
• Vacuum degassing: Removes dissolved gases and volatile compounds that can otherwise impact taste/odor and migration profiles.
• Advanced decontamination: Multi-stage decontamination that brings non-intentionally added substances to ultra-low levels, enabling FDA food-contact validation.
• Co-blending control: Precision compounding with virgin resins to target mechanical, barrier, and optical properties aligned to application requirements.

Measured outcomes include total migration in the 3.2 ppm range for a 50% rPET bottle (under test conditions)—well below the 10 ppm acceptance criterion—and optical performance suitable for branded shelves. Berry Global teams also quantify optical parameters such as L* values to manage color drift; with high-quality rPCR processing, L* readings approach those of virgin PET, enabling acceptable visual consistency. This is a critical differentiator from low-quality rPCR, where residual contaminants lead to noticeable grayness, odor, and a sharper drop in mechanical properties.

For polyethylene and polypropylene applications (e.g., personal care bottles), Super Clean principles translate through feedstock curation, multi-step decontamination, and coextrusion strategies (e.g., outer layers optimized for aesthetics and scuff resistance; inner layers tuned for product compatibility). In practice, Berry Global has successfully applied multilayer structures to minimize visibility of any residual hue in higher rPCR loadings while preserving brand-critical appearance.

Commercial validation: Dove’s 5-year road to 100% rPCR bottles

Real-world proof is as important as lab data. In 2019, Unilever set aggressive recycled-content goals across plastics. Working with Berry Global, Dove initiated a phased program that ramped from 25% rPCR to 100% rPCR HDPE in global personal care bottles.

• Phase 1 (2019–2020, 25% rPCR): Pilot of 10 million bottles delivered 98% drop-test pass rates versus 100% virgin baseline, with consumers reporting 85% indistinguishability in blinded assessments. Cost increased by ~$0.02/bottle (~15%), accepted as an environmental premium.
• Phase 2 (2021–2022, 50–75% rPCR): Introduction of multilayer coextrusion (outer 100% rPCR aesthetics layer; inner virgin HDPE contact layer; optional barrier layer) mitigated color shifts. Process improvements raised rPCR purity and stabilized optics.
• Phase 3 (2023–2024, towards 100% rPCR): European pilots with 100% rPCR HDPE expanded to ~80% of global markets by 2024, with clear bottle labeling (“Made with 100% Recycled Plastic”). The program incorporated Ocean Bound Plastic streams with Super Clean treatment to surpass 99.5% purity thresholds for targeted applications.

Scale and impact: Over five years, Dove’s collaboration with Berry Global used ~120,000 metric tons of rPCR, equivalent to recycling ~6 billion plastic bottles, and avoided ~276,000 metric tons of CO2 compared to virgin resin baselines (based on rPET/PE emission factors cited in the evidence). Supply reliability reached 40 billion total bottles delivered across markets with a 99.5% quality acceptance rate and zero stock-outs, underscoring the advantage of Berry Global’s vertically integrated footprint and global operations. Consumer research in 2024 indicated that 62% recognized the recycled content messaging and 58% were willing to pay a premium, correlating with an ~8% sales uplift from 2019 levels.

For packaging teams, the Dove program demonstrates that high-recycled-content bottles can meet performance and brand standards at scale when supported by robust feedstock quality, decontamination, multilayer engineering, and tight process control. It also shows cost dynamics improve with volume, long-term contracts, and supply chain optimization.

Addressing the rPCR performance controversy and Berry Global’s QA approach

The industry’s most persistent debate is whether rPCR “can ever equal virgin.” The balanced answer is that process determines performance. Low-quality rPCR—often the result of insufficient cleaning, mixed feeds, and minimal decontamination—does show lower strength, higher variability, color drift, and potential odor issues. That is why some stakeholders remain skeptical, especially for direct food contact and highly sensitive applications.

However, when rPCR is produced through a rigorous process like Berry Global’s Super Clean, validated to FDA food-contact criteria, the data and commercial usage reveal small, manageable differences versus virgin resin. In the ASTM comparison, the 50% rPET bottle delivered burst strength within ~6% and oxygen transmission within spec. Migration was significantly below regulatory limits. Commercially, more than 40 billion bottles have shipped with complaint rates under 0.01% in relevant programs. This is not “identical to virgin,” but it is demonstrably suitable for mainstream beverage and personal care packaging when engineered correctly.

Berry Global’s quality system addresses the root causes of variability:

• Feedstock discipline: Preference for single-polymer, bottle-grade PCR streams; rigorous supplier qualification; rejection of mixed or contaminated bales.
• Batch-level verification: Ongoing lab testing of physical properties, migration, and optical metrics; off-spec lots are quarantined and rejected.
• Traceability: Documentation from collection to pellet; customers can audit source streams and process records.
• Application-specific risk management: While food and personal care packaging are supported by FDA-validated rPCR, ultra-high-risk uses (e.g., direct-contact pharmaceutical primary packs and infant nutrition) may warrant a conservative approach or specific multilayer constructs pending customer risk tolerance.

Guidance for engineers: specify rPCR grades that come with documented decontamination and FDA LNOs; request migration and performance data aligned to your exact conditions; use multilayer and design levers to close any small performance gaps; and integrate incoming inspection plans that track the parameters most relevant to your product.

Practical engineering implications, cost balance, and the path forward

From the ASTM results and Dove’s commercial scale-up, several practical considerations emerge for teams transitioning from virgin to rPCR:

• Design allowances: Treat the ~6% mechanical delta and oxygen transmission differences as design inputs. Small geometry tweaks (e.g., base and shoulder reinforcement), localized thickness increases, or selective barrier layers can fully absorb these deltas without compromising shelf-life.
• Multilayer architecture: For PE/PP bottles, multilayer coextrusion is a proven pathway to 75–100% rPCR while stabilizing optics and scuff resistance. In PET applications, consider additive packages and preform design optimization to fine-tune strength and clarity.
• Process consistency: Ensure blow molding, injection, and extrusion parameters are tuned for rPCR blends (drying profiles, melt temperatures, backpressure). Document settings to support repeatability across plants.
• Closure and liner alignment: Pair rPCR containers with closures, pumps, and liners engineered for target torque, seal integrity, and product compatibility—leveraging Berry Global’s closures portfolio to validate fit-for-use.
• Barrier strategy: If shelf-life targets push the limits (e.g., high carbonation or oxygen-sensitive products), incorporate barrier resins or coatings to meet specifications while retaining recycled content goals.
• Quality gates: Establish incoming pellet QC, in-line vision systems, and periodic migration testing to catch drift early. Require supplier transparency on FDA LNOs and lot-level analytics for food-contact applications.
• Cost and ROI framing: rPCR often carries a price premium versus virgin resin due to collection, sorting, and advanced cleaning. Engineers should capture hidden savings and value, including regulatory compliance (avoiding penalties), carbon reductions tracked for ESG reporting, and measurable brand lift. Programs like Dove’s demonstrate that scaled partnerships and long-term contracts can reduce premium volatility and improve total delivered cost.

Looking ahead, Berry Global’s vertically integrated footprint (resin-to-finished-goods), broad category coverage, and investments in advanced decontamination and supply programs are designed to increase rPCR availability and lower cost over time. The company’s Impact 2025 commitments and ongoing work in advanced recycling and Ocean Bound Plastic sourcing further expand the feedstock pool while maintaining quality controls needed for food and personal care packaging. For engineers, that means a growing catalog of validated rPCR grades, clearer data packages, and more standardized performance windows to design against.

Bottom line: when the recycled content program is built on rigorous process and evidence, rPCR becomes a predictable material system. With ASTM-backed comparisons, FDA migration results, and large-scale commercial validation, Berry Global’s rPCR solutions provide a reliable pathway to meet sustainability targets without compromising safety or core performance.