Artenius looks to ramp up rPET used in UK with new facility

APPE’s plant in Gresford, near Wrexham, already supplies a limited amount of 25% rPET bottles and the investment in the new system last month means it can increase the use of the material in its pre-forms and containers.

APPE agreed an exclusive supply deal with AWS Eco Plastics in 2008 for around 13,000 tonnes of rPET a year and hopes to expand from soft drinks and mineral waters to areas such as food, household products and alcohol.

Sales director George Hendry said the investment meant APPE could offer customers “significant benefits in environmentally conscious times”.

“Our rPET preforms and containers deliver all the proven advantages of PET as a packaging material, while meeting demands of government, retailers and consumers to further reduce the environmental impact of packaging,” he said.

APPE said that 25% rPET looks almost identical to a 100% virgin container, but clarity can be affected by increasing the amount of recycled material.

Pellets of recycled and virgin PET are mixed before being put into thermoforming equipment which enable APPE to measure the content to meet a customer’s requirements.

APPE, which is part of Spanish firm La Seda de Barcelona, can produce bottles made from 100% recycled PET from its French plant at Beaune.

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