Nampak issues recycled HDPE rallying cry in the UK

Friday, April 17 2015 Paul Hill – Plastics in Packaging

Packaging manufacturer Nampak has called for the dairy industry to maintain its support towards the recycled plastics markets amid a period of uncertainty. The African company has insisted that its support for recycled material and the ensuing environmental benefits have not wavered.

Recycled high density polyethylene (rHDPE) is a widely-used material in the production of milk bottles. However, falling oil prices have led to reports of financial issues at the UK’s largest rHDPE supplier Closed Loop Recycling, with stories circulating that certain dairy companies have switched back to virgin HDPE.

“At Nampak we feel very passionately about upholding the recycled plastics industry in the UK, and we want others to join us in supporting this initiative,” said Eric Collins, managing director of Nampak Plastics. “We have worked hard to make the industry greener and more sustainable through continuously pushing levels of rHDPE in our bottles, and levels are currently at an all time high.

“This issue has been at the very heart of the Nampak business right from the very beginning when we worked with recycling suppliers to introduce rHDPE into milk bottles as a world-first. We will continue to support the industry despite the uncertain economic future and pledge to maintain levels of rHDPE in our bottles.”

Nampak claimed the Green Product of the Year award at the British Engineering Excellence Awards in 2013.

Survey Shows Strong Public Support for Recycled Content in Plastic Bottles and Legislation to Mandate Recycled Content

Published in Packaging Europe News  |  March 31, 2015

The Resource Association, the trade association for the reprocessing and recycling industries and their supply chain, has released the results of a survey of public opinion conducted by respected pollsters YouGov, showing clear public support for the use of recycled content in plastic bottles and legislation to require manufacturers to use recycled content.

In an online survey of 2,006 people across Great Britain, 68% of adults supported an increase in the price of a two pint plastic milk bottle by 0.1p in order to ensure that bottles were made from at least 30% recycled material and also recycled after use (38% strongly support, 30% tend to support). Only 10% of adults were opposed.

In the same survey, 71% of adults would support the Government introducing legislation to require manufacturers/producers using a minimum amount of recycled content in products with plastic packaging (37% strongly support, 34% tend to support). Only 6% of adults were opposed.

Ray Georgeson, Chief Executive of the Resource Association said:  “The great British public ‘gets’ recycling, and is sending a clear signal to industry and retailers alike – they support the UK plastics recycling industry and would support the fractional additional cost of 0.1p on a two pint plastic milk bottle that it will take to sustain reprocessing of recycled plastic milk bottles in the UK. Interestingly, the public also support the idea of legislating to ensure that recycled content is used in plastic packaging.”

“The decision-makers in the supply chain must take note, wake up and act to support UK reprocessing through the storm of low oil prices and the turbulence this is causing to the sustainability of the UK plastic milk bottle processing infrastructure.”

“The public agrees with many in the industry that 0.1p a bottle is clearly a small price to pay for a sustainable recycling sector. It requires nothing more than those who made this important voluntary commitment – a commitment upon which our reprocessing infrastructure has been built – to fulfil their pledges under the Dairy Roadmap and Courtauld Commitment. They could do it this working day, and stem the growing uncertainty.”

For more information, visit www.resourceassociation.com

Vega Earns Recycled Content Certification by SCS Global Services for 100% Post-Consumer Recycled Plastic Bottles

EcoPrime™ Food Grade Recycled HDPE Plastic Resin Supplied by Envision Plastics

EMERYVILLE, CA–(Marketwired – Jun 25, 2014) – Plant-based nutrition company, Vega, has received 100% post-consumer Recycled Content certification from leading third-party certification firm, SCS Global Services, for its recycled post-consumer (PCR) plastic bottles. Vega’s new packaging, used for its popular nutritional supplements, is made with Envision Plastics’ EcoPrime™ resin, the first food grade recycled HDPE (#2) plastic available in the marketplace.

Vega uses EcoPrime 100% post-consumer recycled food grade resin in its packaging, available only from Envision Plastics

“Vega and Envision are leading their industry by developing new technology for recycling HDPE plastic into food grade packaging material,” said Alicia Godlove, Materials Manager for SCS. “We are pleased to have audited their sourcing and manufacturing systems to confirm the accuracy of their 100% recycled content claim.”

Vega launched its sustainable packaging initiative after an internal sustainability audit revealed that over 70% of its carbon footprint was related to its packaging materials, specifically petroleum-derived virgin HDPE plastic. As part of its “Journey to Zero” initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Vega partnered with Envision Plastics to develop a system for recycling plastic jugs, milk bottles, and other #2 plastics into a food grade vessel.

“We are pleased to have been recognized by SCS for the accuracy of our PCR claim,” said Charles Chang, Founder and President of Vega. “Our commitment to sustainability is at the core of our company and we are proud of the strides we have taken to improve the packaging options not just for ourselves, but our entire industry.”

“Working with SCS to gain a 100% post-consumer certification for our EcoPrime™ resin in Vega’s packaging was a pleasure,” stated Tamsin Ettefagh, Envision’s Vice President of Sales & Procurement.  “SCS was very thorough in their audit and assessment of our material sources, manufacturing processes and product quality.  We were very happy to participate in this process that enabled our important customer, Vega, to obtain this certification for their products.”

SCS has been certifying recycled content claims since 1989. The certification audit determined that Vega and Envision’s production data and material tracking procedures are maintained and that recycled material was derived from verifiable suppliers.

According to Vega’s research, in 2014 its switch from virgin plastic to 100% certified PCR bottles will result in 278 fewer tons of CO₂ emissions (63% less), divert 233 tons of plastic from the waste stream, and use 86% less energy than virgin plastic.

 

Lightweight Recycled Content Milk Bottle from Nampak Hits 500 Million Sales

The following article the highlights the success of the UK dairy industry’s use of recycled HDPE plastic in milk jugs.  The technology is commercially available here in the U.S., but there is no desire or incentive for the dairy industry here to include recycled content in our milk jugs.  Milk jugs are the gold standard of “recyclability” and are used extensively as feedstock for recycled HDPE products.  It would be the ultimate in sustainability if the circle could be completed and milk jugs turned back into milk jugs, instead of into detergent or shampoo bottles.  Envision produces EcoPrime, food grade recycled HDPE resin, which would be ideal for use in the production of milk jugs. – Ed.

Reprinted from Resource Efficient Business

Date: Tue, 1 Apr 2014 | Author: Paul Sanderson

Nampak’s Infini milk bottle has sold 500 million units in the UK in supermarkets such as Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Waitrose and Marks & Spencer.

Since its launch in 2012, the Infini HDPE bottle has saved 34,000 tonnes of carbon and 16,000 tonnes of material.

According to Nampak, the bottle is the strongest and lightest on the British market.

In the last 12 months, Nampak has also pushed up the recycled content in the form of rHDPE in the four pint bottle to 30 per cent and has created a four pint bottle weighing just 32g, representing a 20 per cent saving on the standard bottle.

Nampak Plastics managing director Eric Collins said: “This is a very exciting time for Nampak. For the last six years, the team has been focused on continuously innovating and pushing boundaries where possible with Infini, and this is now showing exceptional tangible results, reducing the carbon footprint of the plastic milk bottle.”

Marks & Spencer commercial and environmental packaging manager Andrew Speck added: “Since Nampak helped us launch the first milk bottles with post-consumer recycled content in 2007 it has continued to deliver innovative packaging solutions for us, most recently this year’s 30 per cent recycled content bottles that we are currently trialling.

“Nampak continues to push the barriers around performance and sustainability, and we look forward to working with it on more ground-breaking innovations into the future.”