Kudos is a food grade PET pellet derived from post consumer food use, mainly bottles, bottles that have been chemically cleaned, washed, sorted and colour graded from carefully selected sources.
The final IV of the product is client specified.
Kudos was the first UK grade of rPET to be submitted to EFSA under the revised EU legislation for recycled material for use in feed contact/
Previously food contact was sanctioned through PIRA independently certified "challenge migration" testing.
Kudos can be used at varying % blends to offset the cost of virgin PET. This has positive impact on client operating costs as well as addressing important environmental issues.
Kudos can be supplied in clear, tinted or coloured materials according to the feedstock employed.
Feedstock is sourced from selected EU recyclers a identifying compliance with their national standards; meeting PETUK contractual obligations on feedstock and with the provision of safety data sheets. Most importantly PETUK does not source flake material for processing and sale from non-designated recycling operations. Material will have gone through a process of sorting, cleaning, colour sortation. The PETUK 2 stage process offers a "super cleaned" product to clients IV specification
The cleaned flake is dried and processed through a vented extrusion system to further reduce any possible contaminants. Melt screening removes any unmelts, gels or solid particles. This process produces an homogenised plastic melt ideally suited for final processing in the second stage. The plastic melt is forced though die holes to produce laces that are then cut into pellets giving the required product bulk density
The second stage; considered to be the most effective for decontaminating recycled PET, is Solid-State Polymerisation (SSP) within proprietary reactors. The reaction is controlled by the application of both temperature and applied vacuum to remove any volatilised material, and the bi-products from the condensation reaction, producing food use approved "super cleaned" polymer. Typical applications include microwaveable convenience food trays, meat and vegetable/fruit packaging and beverage bottles
