LVF (Leeds Vacuum Formers) has started manufacturing plastic products using Breakdown PET, a fully-recyclable and biodegradeable material designed to safely decompose in landfill sites.
Breakdown PET has similar properties as conventional rPET, with the advantage of offering an end-of-life solution for the plastic containers which are not recycled and sent to landfill each year.
The material features organic additives designed to accelerate the breakdown of treated plastics in microbe-rich environments. Breakdown PET products have an unlimited shelf life and are non-toxic.
“Breakdown PET is the future of plastic packaging material,” said Nigel Coates, MD of LVF. “It biodegrades in landfill and is currently undergoing tests that look certain to prove it is compostable in non-commercial facilities.”
Coates added: “The demonization of plastic packaging over the last few months has been extreme, to say the least. But like the vast majority in our industry, we've been striving towards delivering environmentally-friendly solutions for many years.”
Podpak, a single-serve specialist based in Bath, has already switched to the new products.
“When Nigel and his team introduced Breakdown PET to us, we were eager to make the switch to a material that really can rectify a major environmental issue – even though it costs us a little more to buy in,” said Gemma Earl, commercial director at Podpak.
LVF produces Breakdown PET pods for Podpak which are then filled using the company's patented filling system. The packages are then hermetically sealed.