Viridor secures five-year recycled PET deal with kp
Viridor has confirmed a five-year collaboration with fresh food packaging producer Klöckner Pentaplast (kp).
As part of the agreement, Viridor will supply 8,000 tonnes of post-consumer recycled PET annually to kp from Viridor’s new £65 million plastic recycling plant in Avonmouth, near Bristol.
Viridor’s Avonmouth plant, which is the UK’s largest multi-polymer plant, will process 81,000 tonnes of PET, HDPE and PP plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays in its first year of operation, producing 60,000 tonnes of recycled plastic. This will then increase to 63,000 tonnes in year three, with the volume increasing further year on year.
Committing to increasing its use of recycled content, kp launched its Positive Plastics Pledge in September 2018, aiming for all of its packaging to be made from materials that are practically recyclable or sustainably sourced by 2028.
Adam Barnett, President of the Food Packaging division at kp, said: “We are thrilled to announce this extended agreement with Viridor, which has been a significant partner of kp’s for many years.
“We have celebrated the first successful year of our Positive Plastics Pledge and are proving that plastic is a valuable material and when managed responsibly through the right infrastructure, can be collected, sorted and recycled into sustainable, recyclable packaging, while maintaining food safety, security and ultimately preventing food waste.
“We are engaging consumers through our on-packaging messaging, advising them that the food they buy is packaged with protective material made from 100 per cent recycled PET, and is recyclable.
“We also want to take our partnership with Viridor to the next level of circularity as we continue to meet our common goals in true closed loop tray to tray recycling. As a strong and stable end market, kp is driving change at scale for a circular future.”
Viridor’s Managing Director of Recycling, Simon Hicks, added: “Viridor has listened to the feedback it has received in its annual UK Recycling Index which tracks public sentiment on recycling. UK residents want their recycling efforts at home rewarded with clear evidence that plastic which has been designed to be recyclable can be returned to the economy. This is what the partnership with kp will accomplish. We will continue to encourage depositing the Right Stuff in the Right Bin and we, at Viridor, will then ensure that UK plastic is given another life. It need not be single-use.”
Keith Trower, Managing Director at Viridor Resource Management, said: “Viridor is delighted to have formed this partnership with kp, a company with which we have enjoyed a longstanding relationship. It is this kind of collaboration which will have a meaningful impact on creating a truly circular economy.
“It also demonstrates that plastic is not only an extremely versatile and valuable resource. Both companies have extremely high standards in terms of sustainability commitments, and this is how we deliver significant environmental and economic benefits.”
Earlier this year, Viridor announced that it will be processing all of its plastic waste domestically, after the company’s Recycling Index survey showed that 85 per cent of the public believe that the UK should recycle and reprocess its plastic waste at home.
You can find out more about Viridor on the company’s website.
