Phoenix Technologies invests $18 million to expand rPET production; new wash line will enable self-manufacture of clean flake

Phoenix Technologies International, a leading global producer of recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET), is announcing an $18 million expansion to enable upstream production integration.

The company will be adding a proprietary new wash line, expected to be operational by the end of 2015, so that it can self-manufacture clean flake. (Phoenix uses clean flake as in feed material to create rPET, which is used to create next-generation packaging for applications such as beverages, food, personal care and household cleaners.) Up until now, Phoenix has either purchased clean flake directly or sourced baled bottles, which have been reclaimed from curbside collection, and then tolled through a thirdparty wash operation to create clean flake. To prepare for the upstream integration, Phoenix has worked diligently over the past two years to diversify and strengthen its supplier relationships. The objective has been to source enough bales and dirty flake to feed a wash line with projected output of 50 million pounds of clean flake per year. “Combining the total supply chain, from bale to final pellet, and its processes, will allow us to optimize both the wash and flake processing components in ways that we could not do when clean flake was coming from external sources,” said Bob Deardurff, president, Phoenix. “The new wash line also will enable Phoenix to fine-tune critical manufacturing variables so that we can better deliver processing and performance attributes of value to our customers. Another benefit is that the company will be better able to manage its own environmental footprint—specifically water used in the process and fuel used for transportation. The new line will be housed in a leased 66,000 square foot facility located in close proximity to Phoenix’ existing 90,000 square foot manufacturing plant. When the operation is in full production, the new facility is expected to employ approximately 30 associates. This is in addition to the 53 employed at the main plant.Using patented technology, Phoenix is able to pelletize and crystallize recycled, postconsumer PET for reuse back into consumer packaging applications. State-of-the-art processes and quality assurance standards have enabled the company to develop rPET that can be blended with virgin resin for similar performance. Additionally, Phoenix uses less energy per pound to manufacture rPET compared to virgin PET. This further contributes to a decrease in the environmental footprint. The end result is a sustainable, cost-effective, high-performing solution that many brandowners use up to 100% as a replacement for virgin without compromising manufacturing efficiencies or product performance standards.