Page 20 - Plastics News April 2021

CompAny news

StarPak to expand Houston facility Clariant joins the EU circular

with W&H machinery plastics alliance

S-based flexible packaging products manufacturer lariant has announced
UStarPak has announced plans to expand its facility Cthat it has officially joined
in Houston, Texas, to support future growth. StarPak, the EU ‘Circular Plastics
a provider of flexible packaging products, will install Alliance’. The alliance aims
three new W&H presses, including one VISTAFLEX and to enhance plastics recycling
two MIRAFLEX II at the Houston facility. The company in line with the objectives
will add up to 150,000ft² of additional manufacturing of the ‘EU Circular Economy
space to complement the expansion of capacity. The Action Plan’ and the ‘Green
newest 67″, 10-colour VISTAFLEX press is said to make Deal’ programme. Clariant's
StarPak W&H’s largest VISTAFLEX customer across the engagement is part of the
world.With line speeds of up to 2,625ft per minute, the company's active support
VISTAFLEX has the potential to prepare and store up to for the transition towards a more circular plastics
five additional jobs while the press is running.The two economy. “Shifting towards a global circular plastics
new 52″, 10-colour MIRAFLEX II presses are expected economy is an immense challenge that can only be
to be operational later this year. The company will also brought forward through ambitious commitments,
install a 134″, five-layer VAREX II blown film extrusion line. collaborations and an active stakeholder dialog. As part
The MIRAFLEX II presses deliver advanced automation to of the ‘Circular Plastics Alliance’, Clariant is looking
better support quick and waste minimising set-up and job forward to working closely with other key players in
changes.Five Star CEO Mike Ukropina said: “Our continued advancing plastics circularity throughout Europe,” said
investment in capacity highlights StarPak’s commitment to Bernd Hoegemann, Clariant’s Chief Transformation

Officer. Clariant is committed to the alliance’s goal to
boost the EU market for recycled plastics to 10 million
t by 2025. The company’s focus is on addressing the
obstacles that are hampering a higher circularity of
products within the plastics value chain, in line with the
waste hierarchy principles. Clariant’s strategy is based
on a combination of design for reduction, recycling,
and reuse options, as well as solutions for mechanical
or chemical recycling. “Specialty chemicals can act as
enablers for new solutions that enhance circularity of
plastics by maintaining the value of products, materials
and resources in the economy for as long as possible,
and by minimising the generation of waste. Clariant
supporting our customer’s growth today and in the years aims to be a leading provider of specialty chemicals that
ahead.“Expanding our capabilities with state-of-the-art
presses, extrusion, and automation allows us to remain are indispensable to transform a one-way plastics value
focused on industry-leading quality and innovation across chain into a circular plastics economy,” added Richard
all segments.” The Five Star Family of Companies is an Haldimann, Head of Sustainability Transformation. In
integrated group of manufacturing companies situated 2019, Clariant also established EcoCircle, a company-
in Houston, Texas. It is vertically integrated across wide initiative that goes beyond a product focus,
multiple facilities, which include extrusion, printing, and looking at the entire value chain, identifying the most
converting operations. StarPak offers a range of printed sustainable and viable solutions for a circular plastics
films used for consumer and pet food bags and pouches, economy. “With EcoCircle we have the right platform
shrink overwrap, towel and tissue wrap, multipack bags, and competencies to identify solutions for closing the
bakery bags, and printed rollstock for a varied base of loop and to engage with key stakeholders to accelerate
CPG customers. plastics circularity,” added Richard Haldimann.

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