pet bottles

Avantium is currently constructing the world’s first commercial plant for the production of FDCA (furandicarboxylic acid) from plant-based sugars in Delfzijl, The Netherlands. FDCA is the key ingredient for making the plant-based, highly recyclable plastic material PEF, which has superior performance properties compared to today’s widely used petroleum-based packaging materials. Avantium expects to open this FDCA Flagship Plant by the end of 2023, enabling the commercial launch of PEF from 2024 onwards.

The five fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies made the commitment on Tuesday (1 March) as they launched a new Europe-based scheme called the Flexible Packaging Initiative.

Set to drive a significant increase in the state’s PET recycling capacity, the plant will be built in an industrial precinct on Horsburgh Drive, with construction planned to start in early 2022 and finish in 2023.

It is expected to create more than 100 local jobs during the construction phase and 45 permanent roles once it’s complete. The capital expenditure for the project will be around $50 million. 

ALPLA is acquiring BTB PET-Recycling based in Bad Salzuflen. The company turns used PET bottles into recycled material.

In acquiring BTB PET-Recycling GmbH & Co. KG based in Bad Salzuflen in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, ALPLA is investing in further developing the region’s recycling loop. The company processes used PET beverage bottles sourced from Germany’s reverse vending system and turns them into food-grade rPET (recycled PET) pellets which are then primarily used for the manufacture of new preforms for PET bottles, including beverage bottles.

SHAPE360 TDS is a high TD shrink clear label film that improves PET bottle recycling quality and efficiency by ensuring the separation of floatable printed sleeves from rigid PET flakes. Thanks to its low density, the weight of the label is reduced. TDS is compatible with polyolefin sorting streams and is therefore a suitable solution for PP and HDPE containers resulting in recoverable all-olefin packages.