Printpack eliminates waste to landfill from UK operations

- Two UK sites in Lancashire and Essex will recycle, re-use or generate energy from 100 percent of their waste and eliminate waste sent to landfill

 

- Waste-to-energy scheme will see waste that cannot be recycled made in to flock material, which will then be used for burning at cement kilns

 

Printpack, a global flexible and rigid packaging manufacturer headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, is to send zero waste to landfill from its two UK sites as of the start of its 2013 fiscal year.

 

Printpack operates 28 manufacturing facilities in the US, Mexico, the UK, Poland and China.

 

Its two UK sites, in Lancashire and Essex, will recycle, re-use or generate energy from 100 percent of their waste.

 

Printpack’s waste-to-energy scheme involves waste that cannot be recycled being made in to flock material (pictured, top), which will then be used for burning at cement kilns.

 

Jack Austin, managing director of Printpack’s European division, said: ‘At Printpack, sustainability involves both process and product.

 

‘Process initiatives include: use of systems to ensure high air quality standards of plant emissions, waste reduction programs like ours in the UK and reducing our landfill disposal, as well as reducing the amount of post-consumer disposal by down gauging materials, plant energy conservations, plus many other initiatives.

 

‘I am absolutely delighted with the UK team. These outstanding results are a testament to their dedication and hard work to constantly maintain our high sustainability standards and to always improve on our previous year’s performance.’

 

Steve Pizer, European packaging technology controller at Printpack customer United Biscuits, said: ‘We are delighted to see Printpack achieving this milestone in waste management.

 

‘As one of our suppliers we welcome their continued contribution to our own sustainability agenda where we have already achieved zero waste to landfill from UB sites and more recently the launch of the UK’s first Biscuit Wrapper recycling programme.’

 

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