UK-based Nampak Plastics new in-plant at Dale Farm’s Pennybridge dairy in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, has started using up to 10% recycled plastic (rHDPE) in every milk bottle that it produces.
Replacing virgin material with recycled content helps to divert recyclable material from landfill and is a significant contributor to both companies’ commitment to reducing their carbon impacts.
The achievement builds on the environmental benefits already made by locating the bottle manufacturing operation alongside the dairy filling operation at the Pennybridge site, thus bringing down the carbon emissions.
Dale Farm Group chief executive David Dobbin said that this new in-plant facility is generating significant benefits for Dale Farm and their customers and consumers in reducing their carbon footprint and increasing the use of recycled material in the packaging.
The in-plant is the result of a £3m investment from Nampak Plastics along with significant investment by Dale Farm to develop the dairy. Invest NI, Northern Ireland’s Economic Development Agency, provided financial assistance of £0.254m towards the project and to develop additional export sales across Ireland, with part funding also coming from the European Regional Development Fund.