Page 35 - Plastics News October 2024

COMPANY NEWS

Berry upgrades soft plastics recycling plant as

collection scheme scrutiny increases

first wash line and recycling plant in the UK able
to recycle both flexible and rigid plastics from
An investigation has revealed household and industrial waste.
that 70% of tracked soft plastics
collected at UK supermarkets are With a 20,000 tonnes/year capacity, Berry says
not recycled but incinerated the plant produces high quality and consistent
recyclate that can be used in a variety of indus-
trial and consumer rigid and flexible applications

erry Global announced it has upgraded such as storage boxes, refuse sacks and colla-
tion shrink films.
its plastic packaging recycling complex
Bin Heanor, Derbyshire, United Kingdom.
Since 2021, UK supermarkets like Tesco and
The facility can recycle a wide variety of flexible,
Sainsbury's have been operating collection
or so-called soft, plastic waste, including retail
schemes for soft plastics. Berry has a partner-
packaging such as carrier bags, bread bags, film
ship with Tesco to recycle the soft plastics col-
wrapping, and plastic pouches.
lected at its shops. In 2022, the two companies
said the partnership ensures there is full trace-
The US-based packaging company has upgrad-
ability of the collected soft plastics through the
ed the Heanor wash plant to handle and clean a
supply chain. Berry’s Heanor facility was report-
greater variety of poorer quality plastic packs.
edly receiving 25 to 30 tonnes per month of
The facility opened in 2021 and was then the
collected material, including bread bags, fruit,

October 2024 PLASTICS NEWS 35