Chemco Group, an international manufacturing and plastic packaging group, has received authorisation from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to manufacture food-grade recycled PET (rPET) resin for food contact applications under the Food Safety & Standards (Packaging) Regulations, 2018.

Chemco’s rPET recycling facility in Gujarat featuring the Starlinger recoSTAR PET art SSP line

The authorisation places Chemco among a select group of companies in India approved to manufacture food-grade rPET resin suitable for direct food-contact packaging applications, marking an important milestone in the country’s transition towards a more circular and compliant packaging ecosystem.

Chemco’s rPET recycling facility in Gujarat featuring the Starlinger recoSTAR PET art SSP line

The approval follows Chemco’s recent commissioning of its large-scale bottle-to-bottle recycling facility in Sanand, Gujarat, representing an investment of approximately Rs. 125 crore. The integrated facility has been developed to recycle more than 1 billion post-consumer PET bottles annually, converting them into high-quality food-grade recycled PET resin suitable for use in food and beverage packaging applications.

Chemco’s food-grade rPET facility is supported by a state-of-the-art Starlinger bottle-to-bottle recycling system, incorporating globally recognised recycling technology designed for food-contact applications. The facility has been developed to meet India’s food-contact regulatory requirements under the Food Safety & Standards (Packaging) Regulations, 2018, along with applicable Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) requirements governing recycled PET materials. Its compliance framework is supported by robust quality, traceability, and food safety systems, including FSSC 22000 certification, alongside recycling process frameworks recognised by US FDA and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for food-contact recycled PET applications.

FSSAI authorisation for food-contact applications represents a significant regulatory milestone for India’s recycled plastics sector, given the stringent standards governing recycled materials intended for direct contact with food and beverages. Under the Food Safety & Standards (Packaging) Regulations, 2018, manufacturers are required to demonstrate robust traceability, process control, testing, and compliance measures to ensure material safety and suitability for food-contact use.

Commenting on the development, Vaibhav Saraogi, Director of Chemco Group, said, “Receiving FSSAI authorisation for food-grade rPET is an important milestone not only for Chemco, but also for the broader development of circular packaging infrastructure in India. As demand for compliant recycled content continues to increase, particularly in food and beverage packaging, it becomes essential to build credible domestic manufacturing capabilities supported by regulatory discipline, traceability, and consistent quality standards. Our investment in bottle-to-bottle recycling was made with a long-term view of supporting both sustainability and supply-chain reliability for brand owners. This approval reinforces our ability to offer food-grade recycled material that meets stringent safety and compliance expectations while supporting India’s transition towards circular packaging.”

The approval comes at a particularly important time for India’s packaging industry as mandatory recycled-content obligations under the Plastic Waste Management (PWM) Rules continue to tighten. For Category I rigid plastic packaging, including PET bottles and containers, minimum recycled-content requirements have been prescribed at 40% for FY 2026–27, 50% for FY 2027–28, and 60% from FY 2028–29 onwards. These obligations are expected to significantly increase demand for domestically available, compliant food-grade recycled materials, particularly for beverage, food, and FMCG packaging applications. Industry participants are increasingly seeking reliable local sources of food-grade rPET capable of supporting both regulatory compliance and long-term sustainability commitments.

The Sanand facility has been developed as a fully integrated bottle-to-bottle platform, strengthening Chemco’s ability to support brands with compliant recycled packaging solutions through an end-to-end manufacturing approach. By combining food-grade rPET resin production with downstream packaging capabilities within the Group, Chemco offers enhanced traceability, supply-chain reliability, and quality consistency. This integrated model positions the Group among very few packaging manufacturers in the world capable of supporting large-scale recycled-content packaging requirements for leading consumer brands.

Beyond environmental impact, the project contributes to skilled employment generation, strengthens Gujarat’s position as a manufacturing and sustainability hub, and supports India’s broader objectives of resource efficiency, waste reduction, and circular manufacturing.

With FSSAI authorisation now in place, Chemco further strengthens its position as a long-term partner for companies seeking credible, compliant, and scalable food-grade recycled packaging solutions in India.

About Chemco Group
Chemco is an international manufacturing group with over four decades of operating history across plastics and polymer-based products. The Group operates a diversified network spanning 23+ locations across India, the Middle East, and the United States, serving leading domestic and global brands across multiple industries. Chemco processes over 125,000 tonnes of plastic polymers annually and has established capabilities across rigid and flexible packaging, technical textiles, medical devices, baby care products, and sustainable materials. The Group serves a wide range of sectors through advanced manufacturing capabilities across moulding, extrusion, recycling, and engineered polymer applications. Sustainability and circularity remain central to Chemco’s long-term growth strategy, with recent investments focused on food-grade bottle-to-bottle rPET recycling and rPET FIBC and industrial packaging solutions. Chemco remains focused on responsible manufacturing, regulatory compliance, operational scale, and long-term value creation.