Through this investment, the business will as well be homing in on increased demand for sustainably packaged dairy products.
The new, third PET line marks the next step in FrieslandCampina’s sustainability strategy. It will also present opportunities for commercial growth, respond to changing consumer needs and respond to increased demand for sustainable packaging.
It was only a year ago that FrieslandCampina announced that the company was investing in a second PET line. This second, sustainable rPET line made it the first dairy producer in Belgium to introduce 100% recyclable (rPET) bottles, which are a sustainable packaging solution. It was a move that also landed us the very first Packaging & Label Award in the innovative packaging and packaging materials category.
Jeroen Van de Broek, Managing Director at FrieslandCampina in Belgium and France: "Sustainability is a priority for our business. Introducing new technologies will once again provide a huge boost for the Aalter site’s capacity for innovation and knowledge development. We’re also continuously on the lookout for new colleagues to come and reinforce our team. What’s more, this investment and therefore the transition from HDPE to PET constitutes a substantial but extremely important investment for us, which will allow us to respond to changing consumer and customer needs when it comes to user convenience and the environment. The new line in Aalter fits in with our long-term sustainable policy throughout the chain from grass to glass: on the farm, in our production facilities and for our packaging. Moreover, the investment also dovetails with our stated ambition to ensure that 100% of our packaging is recyclable or reusable by 2025."
Sustainable switch: from HDPE to PET
The investment will enable their milk and cream producers to undergo a phased transition from HDPE bottles to the more environmentally friendly PET bottles, which will be made of recycled material to the fullest extent possible. Furthermore, in due course, all bottles will also be given a more environmentally friendly lid or tethered cap that will remain attached to the bottle to prevent litter.
In addition to this, PET will be used at the Aalter site in the production of high-quality cream products for the professional B2B market. The aim is to meet growing worldwide market demand from professional users.
Aalter as a European hub
The current investment yet again serves to confirm the strategic importance of the Aalter site as FrieslandCapmina's European hub for long-life dairy-based beverages. In particular, important local brands such as Campina, Joyvalle, Fristi and Cécémel are produced there, as are Chocomel – for the Netherlands and other markets – and the dairy brand Yazoo, destined for the UK. As a result of this investment, Debic will also be added to the portfolio for Europe and Asia in future.
Sustainability is one of the strategic priorities
Sustainability is one of the company's four strategic priorities. The Nourishing a better planet programme entails the business working on all aspects of sustainability (including climate, biodiversity, adequate nutrition and recyclable packaging), with the ultimate goals being to achieve net climate neutrality by 2050 and above all to be able to keep providing healthy nutrition to a growing world population.
______________
(Photo credit Friesland Campina)
