PureCycle: NJDEP Qualifies PureFive® Resin as Recycled Content

Key highlights
  • NJDEP granted a one-year conditional designation recognizing PureFive resin as postconsumer recycled content, with PureCycle pursuing permanent approval over the next 12 months.
  • PureFive is produced by dissolution recycling of post-consumer polypropylene (#5), yielding PCR suitable for food-contact and rigid packaging.
  • New Jersey’s law mandates minimum postconsumer recycled content for rigid plastics starting at 10% in 2024 and rising 10 percentage points every three years until 50%, with food-contact exempt until 2027.
  • PureCycle sourced over 10.5 million pounds of post-consumer plastic from New Jersey in 2025 and expects volumes to increase as the Ironton facility ramps production.

NJDEP conditional PCR designation

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection granted a one-year conditional designation recognizing PureFive® resin as postconsumer recycled content under the state’s Recycled Content Law; PureCycle must submit feedstock documentation, end-use information and compliance data over the next 12 months to pursue permanent approval.

Product and process

PureFive® is produced via dissolution recycling of post-consumer polypropylene (#5), a physical process that removes color, odor, additives and other impurities to yield a recycled resin with properties comparable to virgin plastic and considered suitable for food-contact by the U.S. FDA.

Regulatory context and timelines

New Jersey’s law mandates minimum postconsumer recycled content for regulated rigid plastic containers, starting at 10% in 2024 and increasing by 10 percentage points every three years until reaching 50%; food-contact packaging is exempt until 2027, and qualification for food-contact use can take many months.

Supply and capacity

PureCycle sourced more than 10.5 million pounds of post-consumer polypropylene from New Jersey in 2025 and expects volumes to rise in 2026 as the Ironton facility continues to ramp production.