Berry Global’s plastics recycling facility in Heanor, UK, has opened a Centre of Excellence to further enhance the level of quality evaluation of the recycled material that is used to produce the company’s Sustane® recycled polymer.
The new laboratory facility, which complements Berry’s existing testing capabilities, analyses the material composition of incoming scrap material, resulting in a higher quality of recyclate for use in the manufacture of second life products.
This latest service provides added reassurance for customers seeking to incorporate at least 30% recycled material into their plastic packaging to meet the requirements of the forthcoming UK Plastics Tax, as Jagan Mohanraj, Technical Director, Berry Global, explained:
“Following Berry Heanor’s successful EUCertPlast accreditation, this new investment in our recycling laboratory facilities helps to ensure the consistency and quality of our Sustane grades, giving our customers the confidence that the performance of their packaging will not be compromised in any way by the inclusion of recycled material. This is particularly essential for packaging used in heavy duty applications such as collation shrink film and collection sacks. The Centre of Excellence exemplifies our Berry promise – bringing innovation for the world and added value solutions for our customers.”
The Centre of Excellence was officially opened by local MP Nigel Mills, who commented:
“I have kept in regular contact with the Berry Heanor site in the heart of my constituency since I was first elected an MP in 2010, and have always been impressed with their drive and determination to increase both volumes of recycled plastics produced at Heanor, as well as the commitment to achieve the highest product quality standards. The opening of these new testing facilities is a further example of Berry’s work to achieving true circulatory for plastic packaging, and this is indeed good news both for the environment and the economy of the East Midlands.”
The establishment of the Centre of Excellence follows Berry Heanor’s achieving of the European Certificate for Plastics Recycling (EUCertPlast). EUCertPlast certification, which works to the European Standard EN 15343:2007, demonstrates that best practices are being followed throughout the recycling process for pre- and post-consumer waste in terms of stock management of incoming waste, recycling process, quality management, staff training and qualifications, traceability in supply chain and environmental protection. The chain of custody provides full details of the origins of the waste material and the waste management company from which it was sourced.
“The opening of our Centre for Excellence underlines our commitment to produce recycled material, using our advanced expertise, with the highest levels of technical performance, consistency, quality and traceability,” concluded Jagan Mohanraj. “This enables us to help customers towards meet their sustainability commitments, while still creating packaging solutions that are fit for purpose.”
Berry’s Sustane® is a range of premium sustainable polymers made from recycled plastic. The material, which is unique to Berry, delivers a high level of technical performance, making it suitable for use in a wide range of applications where previously prime polymer was used.
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