Recyclable and Recycled Packaging
As their preferences continue to change over time, consumers’ requirements for eco-friendly products have too. Today, consumers not only want their products’ packaging to be recyclable but also want it to be made up of recycled materials.
Recognizing the shift in consumer demands, Plastipak is constantly working toward maximizing resource efficiency by implementing circular solutions across our value chain to reduce our impact on the environment.
In 2022, we made incredible progress in enhancing and developing our recycling technologies and capacity. This year, we officially opened our fifth global recycling center in Toledo, Spain—increasing our recycling capacity to more than 425 million pounds of post-consumer pellets. In addition, we made significant expansions at our Dundee, Michigan, and Bascharage, Luxembourg, facilities, allowing us to convert more post-consumer resin (PCR) washed flakes into food-grade plastic pellets.
With these additions, we have been able to further refine our bottle-to-bottle recycling efforts. This approach helps us keep common plastics, like HDPE and PET, out of landfills—giving them a second life in new packaging products. Other benefits of bottle-to-bottle recycling include:
- Increased percentages of PCR content
- Reduced use of virgin resin in packaging
- Significantly lower overall carbon footprint
Sustainable Solutions
In recent years, lightweight packaging solutions have become increasingly popular with food and beverage manufacturers because of their ability to decrease overall material consumption, minimize products’ environmental impact and lower costs throughout the supply chain.
Through a combination of expertise and design engineering, Plastipak has developed patented neck finish technology. This technology has allowed us to produce some of the lightest products in the market for over two decades.
Our lightweight neck finishes are cost-effective solutions and are perfect for carbonated soft drinks and bottled water.
Innovation for Good
With many many brands making commitments to implement sustainable and recyclable packaging in the years ahead, innovation in design will be a key driver in helping customers achieve these goals.
Plastipak’s Creative Packaging (CP) Studios bring our design and engineering experts and customers together to create a solution that meets the needs of the market and gives them a competitive advantage.
Through a series of brainstorming and design sessions, our studio team engages with our customers to understand their goals and their audiences. Together we analyze features from squeezability to opening ease, to transform functionality and design optimal packaging for the customer.
When it’s time to test the design, we invite customers back to the studio to see the proposed product designs in a virtual shelf environment—giving them the opportunity to compare the design to current market offerings. Additionally, we offer early-stage consumer feedback and eye-tracking data to give customers the crucial insights they need to ensure a successful market launch.
