Jokey Group and REMONDIS submit application for “Novel Technology” to the European Commission
Closed-loop material cycle for PP food packaging: Jokey Group and REMONDIS launch a targeted collection scheme as a pilot project in the Ruhr region. The aim is to produce food-grade recycled material.
Wipperfürth / Lünen, 6 May 2026 – The Jokey Group and the REMONDIS Group are pressing ahead with their joint initiative to establish a closed-loop material cycle for polypropylene (PP) buckets from the food industry. The aim of the project is to specifically collect used plastic packaging from the commercial food sector, recycle it to a high standard and reuse the resulting recycled material for new food-contact packaging. In doing so, the project addresses one of the key challenges of the circular economy: the safe and regulatory-compliant recycling of plastics for contact-sensitive applications.
Targeted collection creates defined material streams
The launch of the pilot collection scheme in the Ruhr region marks an important milestone. Used PP buckets, such as those typically used for dairy products or sauces, are currently being collected from several commercial kitchens and food manufacturers. The targeted return of this packaging enables the establishment of defined and controlled input streams – a fundamental prerequisite for high-quality recycling with the prospect of reuse in food contact applications.
Plastic packaging buckets are particularly well-suited for this purpose: they are usually made of a single material, polypropylene, are robust, easy to sort, can be completely emptied of residue and are used in homogeneous applications. These properties form the basis for a viable closed loop.
Clear division of roles along the value chain
The REMONDIS Group contributes its extensive expertise in the collection, sorting and processing of plastic waste, using this to develop high-quality recycled raw materials. The Jokey Group has more than 35 years’ experience in the use of recycled materials in packaging production and subsequently reuses the recovered material in new plastic packaging.
Safety is at the heart of the project. The entire recycling process is monitored by an external scientific institution. The recycled raw material produced is comprehensively tested in independent laboratories. In parallel, the project partners are engaged in close technical dialogue both amongst themselves and with participating food manufacturers in order to continuously refine, validate and scale up all process steps to industrial standards.
Looking ahead, Jokey and REMONDIS plan to develop an industry-wide solution for the collection and high-quality recycling of PP food buckets. Other companies from the food, packaging and recycling industries are invited to play an active role in shaping the further expansion of the circular economy.
Regulatory approval as the basis for market roll-out
In parallel with the technical work, the regulatory requirements were addressed. The recycling process employed was submitted as a “novel technology” to the European Commission and the relevant national authorities. The aim is to secure approval for the process for use in materials intended to come into contact with food within the EU. There are also plans to produce food-grade recycled material for markets outside the EU in the future.
Relevance in the context of the European Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR)
The project is also of particular significance in the context of the European Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). For contact-sensitive plastic packaging, the PPWR stipulates a minimum recycled content of ten per cent from 2030, which is set to rise further in subsequent years. The project by Jokey and REMONDIS demonstrates that these requirements can be implemented in practice – provided that collection, recycling, quality assurance and regulation are considered together from the outset.
Voices from the project
We are delighted to be working with REMONDIS to drive this project forward. For Jokey, the circular economy is not a promise for the future, but a clear mandate to shape the present. By establishing a robust closed-loop system for PP food packaging, we are taking responsibility for our products throughout their entire lifecycle. The launch of the targeted collection scheme is a key step towards bringing high-quality, safe and regulatory-compliant circular packaging solutions to market on a permanent basis.”
– Michael Schmitz, Sustainability Officer, Jokey Group
“The success of establishing closed-loop material cycles for food packaging depends entirely on the quality of the input streams. In this context, defined collection systems are not merely a supporting measure, but a prerequisite for recycling to food-contact standards. In our joint project with Jokey, we are demonstrating that high-quality PP recyclates for contact-sensitive applications are achievable if all stages of the value chain are considered as an integrated whole from the outset.”
– Dr. Jacob Wehrle, Projektmanager, REMONDIS Gruppe
About Jokey
About the Jokey Group: The Jokey Group is a company operating in the plastics processing industry. For more than 55 years, the Jokey name has stood for a high level of expertise in plastic injection moulding and customer-focused service. With 2,100 employees, the group operates 14 plants across 11 countries and supplies customers in around 80 countries. An in-house toolmaking division, a business unit for technical plastic components and another for bathroom furniture round off the group’s plastics expertise. Founded in 1968 and headquartered in Wipperfürth, Germany, the company is now run by the second and third generations of the Kemmerich family. The subsidiary brand KeepIn, launched in 2023, represents Jokey’s reusable products division and offers a range including trays, bowls and coffee cups in various sizes. All products can be customised and are manufactured in Germany.
Press contact:
Jokey Group / Marketing
August-Mittelsten-Scheid-Str. 23
51688 Wipperfürth l Germany
Fon +49 2267 685-1123
Fax +49 2267 685-1133
press@jokey.com
About REMONDIS
The REMONDIS Group comprises several dozen specialist companies worldwide, all of which share the goal of preserving today’s raw materials for the world of tomorrow. With its comprehensive range of services and more than 1,500 sites in over 30 countries, REMONDIS is one of the world’s leading providers of recycling, services and water management. The group mechanically processes more than 250,000 tonnes of plastics annually into recycled material, which is used as a pure, high-quality recycled raw material in industry. In doing so, REMONDIS promotes and develops holistic recycling and the consistent closure of material cycles.
Press contact:
REMONDIS SE & Co. KG
Brunnenstraße 138
44536 Lünen
Fon +49 2306 106-0
presse@remondis.de