Coveris Rigid France SAS has installed a PET flakes module at its factory in Soustons, France, as part of its drive to produce eco-friendly products.
In a 16 January statement, the company said the investment in modern materials, machinery and production methods was aimed at reducing its carbon footprint and fitted its overall strategy of innovation at Coveris.
The module reduces use of virgin material and re-uses plastic PET household waste, which is “almost entirely recovered from national bottle collection schemes,” Coveris said.
The new system then converts the recovered post-consumer hot-washed PET flakes into an rPET material that is suitable for manufacture of food packaging where the food comes into direct contact with the packaging.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has confirmed that the post-consumer rPET flakes processed in the new module are safe for use in all food applications, the company added.
The rPET flakes used at the Soustons factory are sourced from a local supplier in Bayonne, France, which is only 50km south of Soustons.
Over 2,600 tonnes of rPET flakes have been shipped from Bayonne to the Soustons, said Coveris, adding that it had saved an equal amount of plastic from not being recycled and, in turn, did not need 5,000 tonnes of oil to produce virgin plastic.
“Another win for the environment and business is the fact that packaging is produced with 100% rPET, with no additives needed, which reduces financial cost and the burden on the environment,” the company added.
In terms of growth, Coveris said that the Soustons factory will expand capacity thanks to a rise in sales volume.
“To ensure organic growth, investments in two PET thermoforming lines will be launched this year and one PET extrusion line will launch in 2017,” the company said.
A total of 20 employees have already been hired.