Novapet, Eko-Rec, the Pyrenees und Bordeaux
It is Monday morning and we have just prepared the Editourmobil for our departure. The previous evenings were surprisingly quiet, although some of the younger campers were up late into the night and a bit noisy. It is a good thing we had earplugs on Sunday. Now is the time to leave the crowded campsite as we are about to meet the Novapet team.
The drive to Barbastro, the company’s main office, takes around 45 minutes. On our arrival at their imposing building, we are welcomed by Managing Director David González and Ana Cheliz from the company’s Marketing Department.
At the Novapet site, the production of PET raw material with different properties and preform conversion take place under one roof. A second plant in Fuenlabrada near Madrid also makes bottles for food and non-food products. On our tour of the company, David and Ana show us the polymerisation systems used in the production of the material and the injection moulding section where most of the company’s own material finds its way into preforms on Husky and Netstal machines. A huge solar panelled system has been put into operation and will generate 25% of future electricity consumption.
Afterwards, we drive together to the historic town centre of Barbastro where we are invited for a delicious meal where we are also able to acquaint ourselves with the regionally famous Pink Tomato, as well as discussing final topics and asking questions about Novapet.
Back on board the Editourmobil, we head towards Andoain near Sant Sebastián, around 300 km to the north-west. The route takes us part of the way through the spectacular Pyrenees via Pamplona. This is a real challenge for the Editourmobil which I drive up and down roads at breakneck speeds of 20 to 40 km per hour with constant gear changing. We had wanted to make a detour to Sant Sebastián in the evening but that was not possible. The drive took so long that around 10pm and approximately 20 km away from Andoain, we decided to park in a small village and stay there instead. It is a shame, but I guess we will just have to come back another time.
We have a little time in hand on Tuesday morning because our appointment with Eko-Rec is not until late morning.
After dealing with some remote office work, we set off to meet Mikel Urain, Managing Director. Mikel worked for ABC Compressors for a long time, then managed a soft drinks bottling facility before finally moving into the recycling industry. The company, which belongs to a group that is involved in a number of sustainability sectors, processes post-consumer PET bottles into food-grade flakes using Sesotec and Sorema systems. It produces PET sheets and also generates electricity for its own use, as well as for other companies in the immediate area. Textile synthetic fibres were already being produced on large company sites several decades ago. Some of the old and partly dilapidated buildings are still there but will make way for new development land in the future.
After a fascinating meeting with Mikel, we are now on our way to France where we have an appointment with the well-known water bottler Danone-Volvic on Friday. Since the route means about one and a half days of driving, we decide to make a stopover in Bordeaux before continuing our journey. We make good time despite it being the holiday season, with expensive toll roads clearly acting as a deterrent. Towards evening, we reach a small campsite near Bordeaux.
After parking the Editourmobil and a little freshening-up, we decide to take a taxi into town to finish our evening there. The charming old town quickly casts a spell over us. I have never been to Bordeaux but my colleague Heike lived there for a while and knows all the interesting spots. And so, after a stroll through the city streets, we find ourselves on Saint-Pierre Square and end the evening with a delicious meal and a bottle of red wine.
Life is beautiful!
Yours
Kay Barton, Editor
