Why rPCR at Berry Global Is Ready for Prime Time

Berry Global is a U.S.-based, full-spectrum packaging leader in rigid and flexible plastics, films, nonwovens, and closures. Unlike single-category suppliers, Berry operates across the entire resin-to-finished-good value chain — from film extrusion, blow/ injection molding, and nonwovens to decoration, printing, and final assembly — giving brands a one-partner route to scale, quality, and cost control. That vertical integration is one reason many CPGs standardize with Berry in the United States and globally. It’s also why the transition to recycled content, especially rPCR, can be executed with rigor rather than risk.

In practical terms, this means Berry can validate material performance, run statistically robust trials, and lock down consistent production at multiple plants across North America — from its Evansville base to regional sites such as Berry Global Bowling Green, KY (often searched as “berry global bowling green ky”), supporting regional lead times and redundancies.

ASTM Data: rPCR vs Virgin PET in Carbonated Beverage Bottles

To cut through the debate, Berry commissioned an independent, ASTM-certified laboratory to test 50% rPET vs 100% virgin PET beverage bottles following standardized methods. Full details are in the study, but the core findings are summarized below. All samples were 500 ml bottles; conditions and sample sizes were controlled.

• Burst Strength (ASTM D2463; 23°C; n=50/group): 50% rPET averaged 14.2 bar (SD 0.8; min 12.5) vs virgin PET 15.1 bar (SD 0.6; min 13.8). The rPET result is about 6% lower but well above the industry minimum of >10 bar.
• Drop Test (1.5 m, filled, concrete; n=50/group): 50% rPET showed 96% integrity (48/50 intact; two bottom cracks) vs virgin PET 98% integrity (49/50; one bottom crack). Both exceed typical commercial thresholds (≥95%).
• Oxygen Permeability (ASTM F1927; 23°C; 50% RH): 50% rPET measured 0.13 cc/bottle/day vs virgin PET 0.11. Both meet carbonated drink targets (<0.15 cc/bottle/day).
• FDA Food Contact Migration (3% acetic acid, 10 days, 40°C): 50% rPET yielded 3.2 ppm vs virgin PET 2.8 ppm, both far below the 10 ppm threshold. Berry’s rPET process is supported by an FDA Letter of No Objection (LNO).

Bottom line: across structural, barrier, and safety metrics, Berry’s 50% rPET bottles perform within a narrow band of virgin PET. The modest performance deltas (<10% in strength and permeability) are well inside commercial acceptance ranges for carbonated beverages while enabling substantial carbon reductions.

Inside the Super Clean Process: Purity >99.9% with FDA Approval

Not all rPCR is created equal. The core differentiator is process capability. Berry’s Super Clean process combines advanced sorting, intensive hot wash, multi-stage decontamination, high-temperature treatment, and vacuum degassing to drive purity to >99.9%. The result is FDA-cleared, food-contact rPET, suitable for demanding applications.

• Feedstock discipline: Predominantly post-consumer PET beverage bottles, supplemented by clean post-industrial streams; every batch is tracked and tested.
• Decontamination: Multiple cleaning steps remove labels, adhesives, organics, salts, and volatiles; the thermal and vacuum protocols are tuned to lower migration potential.
• Regulatory verification: Ongoing batch testing against food-contact standards; Berry maintains FDA LNO coverage and provides transparency reports to brand partners.

This is why Berry’s rPCR routinely achieves performance within a single-digit percentage of virgin plastics in key metrics — and why it has been safely deployed at mass scale in food, beverage, and personal care packaging.

Addressing the Controversy: rPCR Quality Depends on the Process

Industry debate often frames rPCR as inherently inferior. The more precise statement is: low-quality rPCR can be inferior; high-quality, FDA-approved rPCR can closely match virgin performance. Data supports this balanced view:

• Structural: Berry’s 50% rPET burst strength is 14.2 bar vs 15.1 bar for virgin (≈6% delta) — comfortably within commercial norms.
• Impact: Drop integrity is 96% vs 98%; both pass typical acceptance thresholds.
• Safety: Migration at 3.2 ppm is well under the 10 ppm limit and FDA-cleared.

By contrast, simplified mechanical recycling with inadequate cleaning can yield gray color, odor, or higher migration. The takeaway: specify the process, not just the material. High-quality, Super Clean, FDA-approved rPCR is an engineered input you can qualify and scale.

Case Study: Unilever Dove — From 25% to 100% rPCR in Five Years

In partnership with Unilever, Berry Global executed a phased transition for Dove’s HDPE bottles from 25% rPCR to 100% rPCR across global markets:

• 2019–2020 (Proof of Concept): 25% rPCR. Drop-test pass rates of 98%; consumer panels reported 85% could not distinguish from virgin bottles. Slight color shift accepted.
• 2021–2022 (Scale and Aesthetics): 50%–75% rPCR via multi-layer coextrusion to stabilize optics and stiffness; label redesign embraced the sustainability narrative.
• 2023–2024 (Breakthrough): 100% rPCR HDPE rollout, including Ocean Bound Plastic streams processed via Berry’s Super Clean approach; purity >99.5%.

Outcomes (2019–2024): 120,000 tonnes of rPCR deployed, equivalent to recovering about 6 billion 2-L plastic bottles (or roughly 60 billion smaller units), avoiding an estimated 276,000 tonnes of CO₂. In 2024, about 80% of Dove’s volume shipped in 100% rPCR bottles with a 99.5% quality yield. Supply reliability across five years stood out: zero stockouts on program KPIs.

Cost, ROI, and a Realistic View of Price Premiums

The market reality: high-quality rPCR often carries a premium vs virgin resin — historically in the 20–50% range depending on polymer, geography, and policy-driven demand. For example, rPET has frequently priced 20–30% above virgin in tight markets. Yet the total economics are broader than resin cost alone:

• Compliance and risk: Evolving regulations (e.g., EU mandates; U.S. state requirements) increasingly require recycled content. Non-compliance risks penalties and market access constraints.
• Brand value: Consumer willingness to prefer — and at times pay — for credible sustainability can lift share and reduce price erosion, as demonstrated in Dove’s brand sentiment and sales trajectory during the rPCR transition.
• Operational levers: Berry’s scale, multi-year sourcing, and vertical process control help compress the premium over time through yield gains, quality stability, and logistics optimization.

For context, pricing evolves. If you ask, “how much was a cup of coffee in 1961?” the answer is “around a dime” in many U.S. diners. Today’s costs reflect different externalities — including carbon, recovery infrastructure, and compliance. The key is treating rPCR as a managed supply chain with measurable ROI: carbon reduction, regulatory readiness, and brand equity — not just a spot resin buy.

Manufacturing Discipline: Stability from the Shop Floor Up

Consistent rPCR performance relies on consistent processing. Berry’s quality system standardizes compounding, melt filtration, moisture control, and machine condition across sites. That includes maintenance fundamentals such as manual lubrication regimes for extruders and molding presses where appropriate, inline process monitoring, and preventive part replacement schedules to reduce variability batch-to-batch. The result is fewer off-spec runs and tighter spec windows when transitioning between rPCR and virgin equivalents or when adjusting rPCR ratios.

Supply Chain Agility at Scale: From PPE to Packaging

Agility matters when demand shifts. In 2020, Berry responded to COVID-19 by expanding U.S. medical gown output from 50,000/day to 5,000,000/day in roughly 100 days — a 100× surge — by investing $135 million across 20 nonwovens lines, retrofitting facilities, and training 3,000 workers. That same playbook — fast equipment redeployments, synchronized sourcing, and cross-site line balancing — underpins how Berry ramps rPCR programs with minimal disruption and no missed deliveries.

Safety, Responsibility, and Consumer Education

High-quality, FDA-approved rPCR is safe for designated applications, as shown by migration testing well below limits. But responsible packaging also means clear consumer guidance: plastics are designed for packaging, not ingestion. If a consumer encounters an incident such as a dog eating a plastic bag, they should contact a veterinarian promptly; packaging companies do not provide medical advice, and products are not made for pet consumption. Berry supports on-pack labeling best practices and works with brands on effective disposal and recycling instructions.

Digital Collaboration and Secure Operations

To coordinate forecasts, quality documents, and POs with partners, Berry uses secure enterprise systems. You may see references online to Berry Global Oracle login; this is a secure portal for authorized employees and partners only. Berry does not share access instructions publicly and follows strict cybersecurity protocols aligned with customer and regulatory requirements.

From Rigid to Flexible, Closures to Nonwovens: One Partner, Many Formats

Because Berry spans rigid packaging (food jars, pharma and personal-care bottles), flexible films (shrink, stretch, agricultural), nonwovens (healthcare, hygiene), and closures (caps, pumps, sprayers), brands can harmonize sustainability roadmaps across categories. That includes optimizing rPCR content, designing for recyclability, and choosing the right mix of mechanical and advanced recycling content over time.

Key Takeaways for Packaging Teams

• Performance is proven: ASTM data shows <10% deltas between 50% rPET and virgin in burst, impact, and barrier — all within commercial norms — with FDA-approved safety.
• Process is pivotal: Super Clean, high-purity (>99.9%) rPCR is fundamentally different from minimally processed recyclate. Specify the process, not just the polymer.
• Scale is real: The Unilever Dove program demonstrates global rollout to 100% rPCR with stability (99.5% yield) and carbon reductions at brand-relevant volumes.
• Economics are manageable: Resin premiums can be offset by compliance, brand equity, and supply-chain efficiencies; partner scale helps compress cost over time.
• Agility is an asset: Berry’s PPE surge response is evidence of rapid, disciplined scaling — the same muscles used to accelerate rPCR adoption without missing shipments.

For U.S. brands seeking a data-driven, low-risk way to scale recycled content — with regional manufacturing options (including capacity in Kentucky and neighboring states) — Berry Global provides an integrated path from lab validation to national rollout.