Paint containers manufactured by Berry Superfos using recycled plastic collected as part of a closed loop system have been named Best Recycled Plastic Product in the Plastics Industry Awards 2022.

This is the second success for the containers, which in September also won the RECOUP Award for Best Development or Innovation to Enhance Recyclability or Re-use.

Berry’s Closed Loop Recycled Paint Containers are being produced as the result of a circular partnership that enables used paint containers to be collected and recycled by ensuring that enough of the residue paint in the containers is removed.

The waste paint is collected and re-engineered into new paint by paint recycling and recovery social enterprise organisation Paint360. The containers are then reprocessed into recycled pellets by Berry Circular Polymers. The new circular plastic performs as well as current PCR material to provide an additional source of feedstock to meet the demand for recycled plastic pack solutions. This also serves as a proof of principle to further expand the scheme.

Equally important, the entire closed loop project delivers significant environmental benefits. It reduces the overall impact of both the paint and its packaging through the reduction of waste product sent to landfill and the carbon emissions associated with incineration. For example, for each tonne of plastic packaging saved from incineration* and recycled**, a total saving of approximately 2.8 tonnes of CO2 is achieved. The Paint360 project, meanwhile, is already saving in excess of 70 tonnes of embedded carbon per month.

Now in their 21st year, the Plastic Industry Awards recognise and reward innovation and exceptional performance in the UK plastics industry.

“This is another important accolade for our pioneering project,” commented Søren Rohleder, CEO Berry Superfos.

“Closed loop systems can play a vital role in the further development of the circular economy. For the paint industry, they help manufacturers both meet consumer demands for more sustainable solutions and satisfy legislative requirements such as EPR. We will continue to work with our customers in all sectors in the further devising and development of circular packaging solutions.”

* EIONET (European Environment Information and Observation Network) REPORT – ETC/WMGE 2021/3 - GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS AND NATURAL CAPITAL IMPLICATIONS OF PLASTICS (INCLUDING BIOBASED PLASTICS), Ive Vanderreydt (VITO), Tom Rommens (VITO), Lars Fogh Mortensen, Ida Tange, Anna Tenhunen (VTT)

**QUANTIS - STANDALONE & COMPARATIVE LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT OF THE RECYCLING PROCESS OF LIGHT POLYPROPYLENE (PP) BY BERRY GROUP, Adrien Trompier • Joao Paulo Serta