Materials

Solo Cup Europe is to use recycled plastic supplied by Closed Loop London for the production of disposable plastic cups and containers for the food service and 'food to go' sectors.

The Huntingdon firm said it would take 20% of the 35,000 tonnes of recycled PET (rPET) to be produced by Closed Loop's Dagenham plant, which opened in June.

The plant is the first in the UK able to convert post-consumer PET and HDPE back into food-grade plastic.

Solo Cup Europe will join Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE), Marks & Spencer, Nampak and Reynolds Food Packaging, who were among the first customers to buy recycled food-grade plastic from the plant.

Solo Cup Europe managing director Tony Waters said obtaining food grade recycled PET from a UK source was the most significant part of the agreement for the firm.

"We have decided against supply from sources outside the UK and of non-food grade in favour of championing the closed loop principle," he said.

"This way packaging used for food products will be recycled back into packaging for food products."

Solo Cup Europe has also become the second sponsor, after Marks & Spencer, of Closed Loop's office recycling scheme, which aims to boost recycling of food packaging in the workplace, initially in London.

A Closed Loop spokesman said both firms would sponsor the scheme for 12 months, with an option to renew.

The Dagenham plant is able to sort and separate mixed plastics and reprocess clear PET, light blue PET and un-coloured HDPE. The recycled plastic is expected to cost the same as virgin material.

Closed Loop has also secured funding for a second, larger plant in the North of England, with a capacity of 50,000 tonnes.

Solo Cup Europe produces packaging, including cups and containers, in plastic and paperboard materials. It employs around 400 people in Huntingdon and is part of the US business Solo Cup.