The new facility will increase Berry’s recycling capacity by about 1,200 tonnes per annum
The facility can recycle both flexible and rigid plastics. (Credit: Berry Global Inc.)
Berry bpi packaging solutions, part of Berry Global, has installed a wash plant and recycling facility in the UK that can recycle both flexible and rigid plastics.
Located at Berry’s factory in Heanor, Derbyshire, the new facility will increase the company’s recycling capacity by about 1,200 tonnes per annum.
The recycling facility, which is said to be the first-of-its-kind in the UK, forms part of Berry Global’s investment to meet the demand for recycled content.
It sources material from household and industrial waste and leverages an advanced purification process to produce high-quality and consistent recyclate.
The recyclate can be used in several industrial and consumer rigid and flexible applications such as storage boxes and collation shrink films.
Berry bpi’s Gerry McGarry said: “This is an important development that further strengthens our leadership in plastics recycling.
“The versatility of the line will enable us to become even more responsive in meeting the growing demand for high quality recycled material for new applications to support customers’ sustainability objectives, in particular the requirements of the forthcoming Plastics Packaging Tax, while the reduced water consumption demonstrates our sustainability commitments.”
The facility has been designed to use all water during the recycling process is recirculated and reused. This will help reduce the overall water consumption at the plant.
Also, the waste from the recycling process is sent to a waste-to-energy plant located near Nottingham.
Berry bpi stated that the installation project has been co-financed by WRAP, the Waste Resource and Action Programme that works with businesses, individuals and communities to achieve a circular economy.
In April this year, Berry signed a deal with Borealis for the supply of circular polyolefins.
Berry stated that it will use polypropylene from chemical recycling to produce food packaging for global brand owners.