Waddington Europe Starts to Localize 'Closed Loop' Packaging in Ireland

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Aug 31, 2021, 08:47 ET

HARTSVILLE, S.C., Aug. 31, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading European thermoforming packaging specialist Waddington^® Europe, a division of Novolex®, has teamed up with Shabra, Ireland's leading recycler and reprocessor of post-consumer waste (PCW), to purchase food-grade recycled PET (rPET) sourced from bottles, pots, tubs and trays to manufacture new rPET food packaging products at its Arklow production site.

Waddington Europe, a division of Novolex, has teamed up with Shabra, Ireland's leading recycler and reprocessor of post-consumer waste, to purchase food-grade recycled PET (rPET) sourced from bottles, pots, tubs and trays to manufacture new rPET food packaging products. Shabra's wash plant processes 1.4 tons of rPET per hour.

The agreement with Shabra helps to further secure Waddington Europe's long-term source of rPET and enables the company to expand its line of Eco Blend products made with post-consumer recycled content. Shabra's quality control is advanced by the latest technology of Buhler flake sorters that remove all contamination.

Not only does the agreement help to further secure Waddington Europe's long-term source of rPET, but it also enables the company to expand its line of Eco Blend® products made with post-consumer recycled content sourced domestically in Ireland back into the Irish market.

"Collectively, we hope these new agreements will advance our stake in localized plastics circularity in the Irish market," said Eduardo Gomes, Managing Director of Waddington Europe. "We need to start moving to a more holistic and long-term view when it comes to the lifecycle and environmental impact of food-grade packaging. It's just as important to consider the carbon footprint at its start of life as the environmental impact at the end of its life."

Shabra has recently invested heavily in new sorting lines and a reprocessing facility, which provides intensively washed rPET flake for use directly into the thermoforming and packaging sector.

"We are very much committed to sustainability and a circular economy and all the benefits that go with them," said Rita Shah, CEO of Shabra. "By keeping Irish plastic packaging waste in an Irish recycling system, we are confident that we can offer forward-thinking customers like Waddington Europe long-term savings, less reliance on foreign external suppliers, a positive public perception and increased customer loyalty. On a macro level, the localized economic model can increase jobs and innovation, the security of raw material supply and consumer savings, as well as reduce damaging pressures on the environment. To top all this, we have big expansion plans for 2022 that will allow us to double our output."

Waddington Europe's' Irish customers will also benefit from purchasing food grade rPET packaging products that are produced from this localized approach.

"Our customers are beginning to realize that if they develop these circular supply chains, they can reduce manufacturing costs and provide consumers with more sustainable products," Gomes said. "Additionally, governments are noticing how local recycling and closed-loop economies generate revenue and drive local job creation."

To find out more about Waddington Europe and its rPET packaging solutions, visit www.waddingtoneurope.com.

To find out more about Shabra, visit www.shabra.com.

About Waddington Europe
Waddington^® Europe is the European thermoforming division of Novolex®, a leading manufacturer of paper and plastic packaging and food service products. With three production sites in Milton Keynes and Bridgewater in the UK, Arklow, IR and Eco-Products and Eureka Caterware sales offices in Holland, the vertically integrated business supplies the food industry with in-house sheet extrusion capabilities coupled with product innovation, design and sampling experts.

Media Contacts for Waddington Europe UK and EU
Naomi Chatterley
[email protected]
+44-7738 114775

About Novolex®
Novolex develops and manufactures diverse packaging products for multiple industries in the foodservice, delivery and carryout, food processing and industrial markets that touch nearly every aspect of daily life. The Novolex family of brands provides customers with innovative food and delivery packaging and performance solutions products for their business needs today while investing in research and development to engineer more sustainable choices for the future. With more than 10,000 employee families, Novolex operates 57 manufacturing facilities in North America and Europe, including two world-class plastic film recycling centers. To learn more about Novolex, visit www.Novolex.com.

Media Contact for Novolex
Phil Rozenski
[email protected]
1-800-845-6051

SOURCE Novolex