Expert interview with Kobelon: How advanced deodorization technology opens up new opportunities for recycled plastics

With the market's responseRecycled plasticWith the continuous improvement of quality requirements, recycling enterprises are facing increasing pressure to provide recycled materials with low odor, stable performance, and suitable for high demand applications. At the same time, they must ensure that the production process is both economically efficient and sustainable.

With its integrated recycling technology, Kebelong has achieved deodorization and pollution removal throughout the entire recycling process. The first step begins with the cleaning and material pretreatment stage, followed by the Kobelon processDouble screw extruderEfficient volatilization treatment is carried out in the middle, and finally the entire process is completed through the EcoFresh silo degassing system. This comprehensive process not only significantly improves the odor quality and material properties of recycled plastics, but also has been used for the production of food grade recycled materialsHDPEVerification with PP. In June 2026, Kobelon received a Letter of No Objection (LNO) from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) confirming the effectiveness of its rHDPE and rPP recycling technologies. Kebelong is the first supplier to provide a complete decontamination system, which combines twin-screw extrusion technology with EcoFresh silo degassing technology to efficiently produce food grade recycled plastics. The processing capacity covers small-scale production up to 6000 kg/h.

We interviewed Jochen Schofer, Sales Director of Recycling Applications at Kobelon, to discuss the growing importance of odor removal technology and what FDA certification means for the plastic recycling industry.

Recycling companies have always focused on output and material recycling rates in the past. Why has deodorization become such an important topic nowadays?

Because the market's expectations for recycled plastics have undergone significant changes.

Nowadays, producing only recycled materials is far from enough. Brands, recycling companies, and consumers all hope that recycled plastics can have properties similar to those of virgin plastics. Among them, odor is one of the most easily perceived quality indicators. If a recycled material has an unpleasant odor, its application range will be greatly limited.

This is particularly important for packaging, household goods, consumer goods, and numerous technological applications. Therefore, efficient deodorization technology has become a key factor in enhancing the value and market competitiveness of recycled plastics.

Where does the odor in post consumer recycled plastics mainly come from?

Post consumer plastic waste typically contains volatile organic compounds (VOCs), residual substances, and various pollutants.

Even after cleaning, these substances may still have a small amount of residue in the material. These residual compounds are often the main source of odor and can have a negative impact on the quality perception of recycled plastics.

Therefore, the challenge is not only to effectively remove these substances, but also to complete this process in an energy-saving and economically feasible way.

How does Kebelong cope with the challenge of deodorization?

We view deodorization as a systematic process that runs through the entire recycling process, rather than a single processing step.

Different process steps for reducing odors in the Kebelong Herbold recycling system

The first crucial step occurs during the material pre-processing stage. With the efficient cleaning technology of Herbold Meckesheim, raw materials are not only thoroughly cleaned, but also preliminary deodorization can be achieved. Efficient cleaning production lines can remove a large amount of pollutants and substances that produce odors before the materials enter the subsequent recycling process.

The second stage is completed in the Kobelon twin-screw extruder. Here, recycled materials are melted, thoroughly mixed, homogenized, and subjected to degassing treatment. Thanks to the optimized screw combination design and process parameters, most volatile organic compounds can be reliably removed during the twin-screw extrusion process.

The third and final stage is the EcoFresh silo degassing system. At this stage, the pelletized material undergoes heat treatment to further remove residual volatile substances and odors. This final 'finishing' process enables recycled plastics to achieve a quality level in odor expression that is close to that of native plastics.

The uniqueness of our solution lies in this integrated process. Each process step contributes to the overall deodorization effect, significantly improving the overall quality of recycled plastics.

You often describe deodorization as a complete process rather than a standalone technique. Why is this so important?

Because no single process step or technology can independently remove all pollutants and substances that produce odors.

Successful deodorization begins with efficient cleaning and material pretreatment, followed by further removal of volatile substances through high-intensity devolatilization during extrusion, and ultimately the entire deodorization process is completed by thermal post-treatment in the EcoFresh system.

Each technology works against different types of pollutants and volatile compounds. When these technologies achieve the optimal combination, efficient and comprehensive decontamination effects can be obtained.

This integrated process is also one of the important reasons why we obtained FDA food grade rHDPE and rPP no objection letters (LNO). The FDA's recognition not only verifies the performance of a certain device, but also proves the overall effectiveness of the entire process plan in terms of pollution and odor removal.

What opportunities does this FDA certification create for recycling companies?

It opens the door for higher value-added applications.

With the help of Kobelon technology, recycling companies can process HDPE milk or juice bottles into food grade recycled pellets, which can be reused to produce similar bottles or related products. Food containers, cups, bowls, and trays made of PP can also be recycled and reused to create new packaging that can directly come into contact with food. According to specific applications, the content of recycled materials can reach up to 100%.

Is EcoFresh only suitable for food grade recycling?

Not at all.

Nowadays, most recycling applications are not intended for food contact purposes, but they still require high-quality, low odor materials. Household products, cosmetic packaging, detergent containers, automotive parts, consumer goods, and many other products can all benefit from the improvement of recycled plastic quality.

EcoFresh helps recycling companies meet constantly increasing quality requirements while improving process efficiency.

EcoFresh silo degassing system from Kobelon

What are the advantages of integrating EcoFresh into existing recycling production lines?

Flexibility is one of the core goals in its development process.

EcoFresh occupies a compact space and can be installed inside or outside the production workshop. It can also be easily integrated into existing recycling systems, allowing recycling companies to improve product quality without the need for large-scale renovation of production infrastructure.

Therefore, this technology is suitable for both new construction projects and the upgrading and renovation of existing production lines.

How can recycling companies utilize their own material flow to test plastic recycling technology?

At our testing center, customers can conduct comprehensive testing using their own raw materials in an environment close to real production conditions.

At the Herbold Meckesheim testing center, crushing, cleaning, and material pretreatment processes can be tested; At the Kebelong Recycling Innovation Center, processes such as material conveying, unloading, feeding, extrusion, mixing, granulation, and silo degassing can be tested. Kobelon and Herbold jointly replicated the entire plastic recycling process at the testing center.

This enables recycling companies to verify their production capacity, product quality, odor reduction effect, pollution removal efficiency, and process efficiency before investing.

Kebelong Recycling Innovation Center can use raw product logistics to test plastic waste recycling

What role will odor removal technology play in plastic recycling in the future?

I believe that deodorization will become one of the decisive indicators for measuring the quality of recycled plastics.

As regulatory requirements, brand commitments, and consumer expectations continue to drive higher targets for the use of recycled materials, recycled plastics will increasingly need to compete directly with native materials. This means that quality, consistency, safety, and sensory characteristics will be more important than ever before.

What makes me particularly confident about the future is that we have provided validated solutions for every stage of the deodorization process. From cleaning, purification, extrusion treatment, to final silo post-treatment, we can help recycling companies produce materials that meet increasingly stringent quality requirements.

The technology that can efficiently remove odors and pollutants will play a core role in high value-added recycling applications. Food grade rHDPE and rPP have obtained FDA certification, demonstrating the effectiveness that can be achieved when advanced extrusion technology and deodorization technology work together as an integrated solution.

For us, this is not only a milestone in the field of food grade recycling, but also proves that high-quality recycled plastics can open up new development opportunities for the circular economy.

Key points: How advanced deodorization technology can improve product quality in plastic recycling

　　·Deodorization is an important quality indicator for recycled plastics, especially suitable for packaging, consumer goods, household items, and food contact applications.

　　·The integrated process can achieve the best deodorization and pollution removal effect. Effectively reducing odors and removing pollutants requires a combination of various technologies such as cleaning, extrusion devolatilization, and post-treatment, rather than relying on a single process step.

　　·FDA certification provides higher credibility for food grade recycling. The FDA no objection letter (LNO) for food grade rHDPE and rPP validates the effectiveness of Coperion's integrated decontamination and deodorization process, providing greater assurance for recycling companies to enter the food contact application field and expand the use of recycled materials.

　　·Low odor recycled plastics are not only suitable for food packaging, but also create new opportunities for markets such as cosmetics packaging, household goods, automotive parts, and consumer goods.

　·Transformable integrated technologies can enhance the current level of recycling operations. By integrating into existing recycling production lines, recycling companies can improve product quality without the need for large-scale infrastructure upgrades.

　·Testing with real material flow before investment is crucial for verifying deodorization effectiveness, decontamination efficiency, product quality, production capacity, and economic feasibility.

　·High quality recycled plastics are the key to promoting the development of circular economy, as they can expand a wider range of application scenarios and increase the acceptance of recycled materials in various industries.

·High quality recycled plastics are the key to promoting the development of circular economy, as they can expand a wider range of application scenarios and increase the acceptance of recycled materials in various industries.