Page 28 - Platics News June 2022

COMPANY NEWS

Smur t Kappa To Build Packaging Facility In Rabat, Dow Expands Its Project
Morocco Re ex – Into New Markets

ollowing a successful pilot phase
Fin Nigeria, Dow has expanded
its exible packaging recycling initi-
ative – Project REFLEX – into new
markets. Dow has announced the
expansion of its Project REFLEX
initiative in Egypt and Guinea, fol-
lowing a successful pilot phase in
Nigeria. Working together with lo-
cal partners the initiative aims to
C orrugated packaging company porate an Experience Centre, our 30th increase exible packaging recycling
Smur t Kappa is investing €35m worldwide, which will foster enhanced
($37.3m) to build a packaging plant collaboration with our customers and in Africa to establish a market for
recycled contents to help address
in Morocco. Located in Morocco’s provide creative ideas and insights.” the waste issue while providing job
capital city, Rabat, the plant will be the Smur t Kappa’s Rabat plant is expected opportunities for local communi-
company’s rst corrugated plant in the to generate 300 direct and indirect jobs ties. e project, which launched in
country. e facility covers a 25,000m² in the region. Construction of the ad- 2020 (https://dow.inc/3ObOLRL),
area and will allow Smur t Kappa to vanced plant began this week and the speci cally targets exible packaging
supply advanced and sustainable pack- facility is expected to be operational such as plastic water sachets that en-
aging solutions e ciently to both lo- early next year. Smur t Kappa Europe sure local communities have access
cal customers and multinationals in CEO Saverio Mayer said: “We are very to clean water, to show that it can be
Morocco. It will manufacture packag- proud to announce the construction of collected and recycled to be used in
ing for a range of sectors, including this advanced new facility, the rst of new, quality packaging applications.
industrial, agriculture, fast-moving its kind owned by the company in Mo- e post-consumer recyclate (PCR)
consumer goods (FMCG), automo- rocco. “Our customers will also bene t that was created in the pilot phase
tive, pharmaceuticals and ceramics. from our fully integrated and circular is currently being trialed by a large
Smur t Kappa Spain, Portugal and business model, which will ensure a brand owner for use in some of their
Morocco CEO Ignacio Sevillano said: reliable supply of quality, value-adding non-food packaging applications. If
“We are delighted that the rst stone and sustainable products.”In January successful, this will be a live exam-
has been laid – an important milestone this year, Smur t Kappa announced a ple of a closed-loop system for plas-
for the project.“ is investment is a re- $33m expansion project to increase the tics in Africa and prove further the
ection of our ‘think global, act local’ production capacity of its plant in For- commercial viability of PCR mate-
approach, which combines our global taleza, Brazil. As part of the expansion, rials from exible packaging waste.
scale and expertise with our local team’s the company will install a corrugator to rough Project REFLEX, Dow
best-in-class knowledge to understand increase the plant’s shelf-ready packag- aims to divert 10,000 Metric Tons
and satisfy our Moroccan customers’ ing output. (MT) of exible packaging waste by
needs. “ e new plant will also incor-
2025.

28 PLASTICS NEWS June 2022