From May 2021, ALPLA UK will source food-grade polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) plastic pellets from the Biffa recycling plant in Seaham, County Durham. The recyclate will be used for the manufacture of home care packaging. As such, the amount of recycled plastic used in day-to-day household products such as washing-up liquid and cleaning product bottles will increase.
The partnership will promote a local circular economy for plastics in the United Kingdom. The collection and recycling of plastic waste help conserve natural resources and protect the environment.
Major investments in the circular economy
In February 2021, the ALPLA Group announced that it would be investing up to EUR 250 million in globalising its recycling activities between now and 2025 in order to close the materials cycle in as many regions as possible.
‘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. This helps us to achieve the overall objective of reducing CO2 emissions and actively bringing the circular economy forward,’ says Tasos Pourloukakis, UK Country Managing Director at ALPLA Group.
Biffa invested 27.5 million pounds in the plastics recycling plant which opened in Seaham in 2020 and can process the equivalent of 1.3 billion bottles a year. The company has set itself the ambitious goal to quadruple its plastics recycling capacity by 2030.
‘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,’ says Chris Hanlon, Commercial Director at Biffa Polymers.
