language selectENFR

Scaling to new heights in North American food packaging recyclability

Picture showing the APR Design for Recycability logo with a transparent PET food packaging tray and minced meat
For today’s food brands and retailers, sustainability is at the top of the business agenda, so significant milestones in food packaging recyclability deserve celebration.

That's precisely what we're doing at kp with our recent achievements in North America - achievements that mark an important advancement in our continued commitment to designing packaging with recyclability front of mind.
We're delighted that two of our innovative products, kp Elite® and kp Hotfill®, have received prestigious APR Design® Recognition and How2Recycle® prequalification, validating our thoughtful approach to creating truly sustainable food packaging solutions.

The Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) is the only North American organisation dedicated exclusively to improving plastics recycling, making this recognition particularly meaningful. It provides authoritative third-party validation that our products meet the highest standards for recyclability in the North American market.

Share this story

Raising the bar for sustainable packaging

kp Elite® is our certified recyclable solution for fresh protein MAP (Modified Atmosphere Packaging) applications. Manufactured with up to 100% post-consumer recycled PET, it offers exceptional sealing through contamination, reduced rework and repacking, and delivers a hermetic seal that minimises leaks. For retailers, this translates into peelable seals, extended shelf life and exceptional clarity.

For food products that require high temperature packing, kp Hotfill® is a fully transparent mono PET rigid film designed for hot filling applications up to 90ºC. Containing up to 50% recycled content, it's perfect for foods like jams, compotes, condiment sauces, liquid stocks and other ready-to-eat foods. It offers excellent transparency, high stacking resistance, and is a drop-in solution for thermoforming lines with minimal retrofitting costs – all while remaining fully recyclable where the appropriate infrastructure exists.

Both products demonstrate our core belief that sustainability and performance don't have to be mutually exclusive - you really can have both.

Expanding our sustainable footprint

The How2Recycle® prequalification adds another layer of assurance, with our products earning ‘check locally’ recyclable status in the United States and ‘widely recycled’ designation in Canada. This labelling system helps consumers understand how to recycle correctly, ultimately improving recycling rates and quality. This recognition validates our thoughtful and measured approach to sustainability, recyclability and the circular economy.

Our technical teams have worked tirelessly to ensure our products meet strict North American guidance criteria for recycling, demonstrating our commitment to supporting brands and retailers in achieving their sustainability goals while maintaining the standards of food protection, safety and quality design that kp is known for.

A new achievement in North American growth


These new certifications demonstrate our capacity to partner seamlessly with multinational brands seeking reliable, sustainable packaging solutions globally. They are much more than just certifications - they're a clear signal to major brands and retailers across North America that kp is primed and ready to be their sustainability-focused packaging partner. By choosing kp Elite® or kp Hotfill®, businesses can be confident they're selecting packaging that supports high-quality PCR production, contributing to a more robust circular economy for plastic packaging.

For kp’s food packaging business, our 'Packaging with Integrity' ethos is more than just a tagline – it's the philosophy that underpins everything we do. It means creating packaging solutions that not only meet the functional requirements of protection and preservation but also demonstrate our commitment to environmental responsibility and transparency in every step of the product lifecycle. When customers choose kp, they're partnering with a company that puts integrity at the heart of all business decisions, from material selection to manufacturing processes and end-of-life considerations.

This ethos works hand-in-hand with our 'Investing in Better' sustainability strategy, which establishes clear, measurable targets for improvement across our operations. By investing in innovative technologies, sustainable materials, and circular design approaches, we're continuously pushing the boundaries of what's possible in sustainable packaging. The North American certifications for kp Elite® and kp Hotfill® are tangible evidence of how these complementary approaches create a powerful force in advancing food packaging sustainability on a global scale - delivering solutions that benefit our customers, consumers, and the planet alike.

With APR Design® Recognition and How2Recycle® prequalification under our belt, we're better positioned than ever to help North American food brands and retailers meet their sustainability targets without compromising on quality or performance.

Click here or the button below to learn more about our business in North America.
Click here to read more
More like this