A new thermoformed plastic packaging system will make recycling much easier for retailers and consumers by using a single type of plastic for the entire pack.
Overcoming one of the major barriers to increasing volumes of packaging recycling, PFF Thermoformed Packaging’s new rPET100 system uses 100 per cent Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) within which there is a significant proportion of recycled PET (rPET), to produce the whole pack, including the labels.
PFF business development manager, Stephen Carr, said: “The rPET100 system is fully and independently certified as safe for food contact. The recycled PET materials, which are super-cleaned and granulated before being used again in plastic film extrusion, are actually sandwiched between virgin PET material. This provides assurance that there is no risk of any possible contaminants coming into contact with the food contents of the package.”
“The rPET100 packaging system can be used to thermoform packs of all shapes and sizes, and PFF is currently dealing with enquiries for customers who produce tomatoes, pears, apples and soft fruit.”
PFF has partnered with major film lid manufacturers, PET labelling specialists and its own sheet extrusion division, Arvensis, along with packaging machine manufacturers to better understand the handling of rPET products. By bringing together these experts, PFF is now providing the packaging solution to its retail and food processing customers.
“Unlike other approaches to sustainable packaging, PET is tried and tested in terms of its recyclability and its suitability as part of a long term packaging choice,” said Andy Bairstow, managing director of PFF. “This whole pack can go post-use into a single recycling stream - PET. As better collection and reprocessing facilities develop, there is now no reason why recycling of post-consumer PET packaging cannot become as successful as waste paper or glass bottles.”
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