The partnership involving Biffa supplying recycled plastic materials to Alpla is part of a ‘long-standing relationship’ between the two businesses
This partnership is the latest development in Biffa’s strategy to create a circular economy for plastic in the UK (Credit: Biffa)
Sustainable waste manager Biffa and plastic packaging firm Alpla UK are to work together to ensure more British recycled plastic is used and is made from UK homecare products.
From May, Biffa will provide polyethylene terephthalate plastic pellets from its recycling facility in Seaham in County Durham to Alpla UK.
The material will be used in the production of homecare product packaging, increasing the amount of recycled plastic used in everyday household items such as washing up bottles, detergent and cleaning sprays.
Biffa Polymers’ commercial director Chris Hanlon said: “Biffa is a true pioneer in closed-loop recycling, turning waste plastic into materials which are a substitute for virgin plastic.
“Our partnership with Alpla will contribute to our strategic ambition of a more sustainable future built around a circular economy and we’re looking forward to continuing to work with the team to achieve this.”
Recycled plastic supply partnership part of a ‘long-standing relationship’ between Biffa and Alpla
Biffa has a longstanding relationship with Alpla, and first partnered with the company in 2007 through the UK’s Dairy Roadmap.
It’s a scheme designed to unite the dairy industry’s partners to produce fully recyclable plastic milk bottles.
This partnership is also the latest development in Biffa’s strategy to create a circular economy for plastic in the UK.
By replacing virgin plastic used in packaging with recycled plastic, the lifespan of plastic can become infinite when it is continually recycled and put back into packaging supply chains.
Additionally, the firm is investing significantly in UK green recycling infrastructure, opening a £27.5m ($38.3m) state-of-the-art plastic recycling facility last year in Seaham, which can process the equivalent of 1.3 billion plastic bottles each year.
By 2030, it has a target to quadruple its plastic recycling capacity as part of its broader sustainability strategy.
Alongside this Alpla Group, an Austrian-based business, announced last month it’s to invest around €250m ($298m) between now and 2025 to globalise its recycling activities.
The move is designed in order to close the materials cycle in as many regions as possible.
Speaking about the partnership with Biffa, Alpla Group’s UK country managing director Tasos Pourloukakis said: “The collaboration with Biffa goes along with our aim to push worldwide closed-loop systems on a local level.
“This approach guarantees the highest possible collection rates, recyclability, and quality of the materials.
“It also reduces the logistical effort related to our packaging solutions. It helps us to achieve the overall objective of reducing CO2 emissions and actively bringing the circular economy forward.”