PETpla.net Insider 12 / 2016

PET news 6 PET planet Insider Vol. 17 No. 12/16 www.petpla.net WikiPETia .info New contents at wikipetia.info Growth of PET collection and recycling in Europe With over 1.8 million tonnes of collected and recycled PET bottles, the 2015 European PET collection and recy- cling volumes have increased by 5% compared to 2014. This means that nearly 59% of all bottles placed in the European market have been collected for recycling in 2015, outlining an increase of 2% points compared to the 2014 collection rate. These conclusions come from the annual PCI Wood Mackenzie report on post-consumer PET collection and recycling in Europe, which has been recently published. The survey results not only reveal the success of PET collection and recycling in Europe, but also the challenges and future work the PET industry is facing. “Continuously trying to improve the growth rates in collec- tion demonstrates the need to increase consumer awareness of and involvement in recycling, as well as improvement in collection systems and action by many Member States,” states Helen McGeough, Senior Consultant responsible for the area of recycling and sustainability in PCI Wood Mackenzie. “The value of these resources needs promoting across society, from consumer to government, to ensure it is treated in the right way throughout its life and beyond.” The report further clearly outlines the need for an improved collection and sorting system throughout Europe. “Clear bottles accounted for less than 15% of the stream, continuing the downward trend for clear bales in the total share of the available stream and highlighting the need for greater expenditure in sorting activities. The process loss rate is on an upward trend, this rising rate equates to a mounting cost to the industry and backs the calls by the industry for improved collection within the Circular Economy proposals,” explains McGeough, as reported in the study. Referring to the recycling in- and output, the report reveals a strong growth in 2015, with the average operating rate improving over 2014. The trend in the trade of bales also went in favour of the domestic reclamation industry in 2015. As an outlook, the report concludes that the volume col- lected by 2020 will reach over 2 million metric tonnes, with an expected average collection rate of over 60%. The complete report is available through PCI Wood Mackenzie. The results will be also discussed during the Petcore Europe Conference 2017 “PET 2020” taking place in Brussels on February 1, 2017. www.petcore-europe.org Amcor Rigid Plastics completes acquisition of Sonoco’s Global Plastics blow moulding business Amcor Rigid Plastics has completed the acquisition of Sono- co’s Global Plastics blow moulding business in North America. The closing of the Sonoco acquisition comes two months after Amcor Rigid Plastics first announced the agreement on September 2, 2016. The deal was finalised after Amcor Rigid Plastics and Sonoco secured approval from all key regulatory bodies. Amcor Rigid Plastics intends to strengthen their customer value proposition in the pharmaceutical, personal care and speciality food segments with this acquisition as well as to enhance and expand the position with additional multi-material processing, decorating capabilities, and complementary extru- sion and blow moulding assets. The acquisition will increase Amcor Rigid Plastics’ workforce by an additional 850 employees and expand the company’s operational footprint with an additional six plants in the U.S. and one in Canada. The seven plants manufacture custom rigid plastic bottles, jars, overcaps, and closures for the food, beverage, health and beauty and personal care markets. www.amcor.com Avery Dennison helps Coca-Cola European Partners to recycle 70t/a of PET waste Avery Dennison has collaborated with partners throughout the supply chain namely Viridor and PET UK, to help Coca- Cola European Partners (CCEP) reduce waste, costs, and the carbon footprint of Smartwater production in the United Kingdom. According to Joe Franses, Director of Corporate Responsi- bility and Sustainability at Coca-Cola European Partners, “This example shows how we can turn the crisis of resources into a business opportunity through close collaboration across the value chain. Businesses which can be truly innovative with the products and services they provide, optimising the resources they use and encouraging consumers to do the same, have the potential to transform our economy.” Xander van der Vlies, Sustainability Director for Avery Dennison Materials Group Europe, said that CCEP wanted to further improve Smartwater production in line with its focus on recycling, sustainability and creating a circular economy. More than 50 million bottles of Smartwater were produced in 2015. The PET liners used (carrying the self-adhesive labels before dispensing) generated more than 40t of waste in that year, costing around $10,600 in disposal/handling costs. Under the new recycling scheme, PET UK shreds and extrudes the waste PET liner and then produces a material suitable for making new items such as PET staple fibre, strapping or thermoformable sheets. There will also be significant savings in CO 2 emissions - around 180-200t in 2016. Van der Vlies noted that creating awareness on PET recycling will continue, “Since we launched this initiative with PET UK in 2014, we have signed up many wine, spirits, beer, and beverage brands. Avery Dennison has set an ambitious sustainability goal for 2025 of eliminating 70% of liner waste from the industry value chain.” www.averydennison.com