Smurfit Kappa has joined with companies HVC and Bluemats to unveil an ambitious plan for the first full beverage carton recycling plant
October 24, 2019Smurfit Kappa has
joined with companies HVC and Bluemats to unveil an ambitious plan for the first
full beverage carton recycling plant in the Netherlands.
When it comes to recycling, beverage cartons, for example those used for fruit
juice or milk, currently pose an infrastructural challenge as they have to be
split into three materials: paper, plastic and aluminium. The planned new
facility will have the capability to quickly split and sort the components of
the drinks cartons so the materials can be used to create new products.
Single-use coffee cups, which also have multi-layered materials, are also
included in the scope of the plan.
Over half of the beverage cartons used in the Netherlands are incinerated or
disposed of in general waste channels, with the remainder being exported to
other countries for recycling. A new domestic facility would therefore be an
enormous benefit from both an environmental and logistics perspective.
Smurfit Kappa brings long-term expertise in paper-recycling installations
to the project which has been awarded a European LIFE grant. HVC brings
sustainable waste collection experience to the project while Bluemats will
handle and separate the plastics and aluminium.
Henk Hoevers, VP of Paper Technology at Smurfit Kappa, said: “We are excited
about being involved in a project that has the potential to solve a very big
challenge and potentially push the high recycling rate of paper even further
than the current 85%.
“Together, our three companies plan a state-of-the-art installation that can deal
with this specific multi-material reject stream. Using all three separated
streams of paper, plastic and aluminium for further recycling is unique.
“This plan is very much in line with the circularity that embeds all our
operations and aligns with our Better Planet
Packaging initiative which seeks to reduce packaging waste.”
Dennis Froeling, Business Developer with HVC, added: “At this time,
multi-layered cartons are being recycled elsewhere in Europe, mainly in
Germany.
“We would like to ensure that the multi-layered cartons that come from our
sorting centre in Heerenveen and from SUEZ in Rotterdam are being recycled in
the Netherlands. By doing this we are connecting the entire chain from
collection, to transport through to the sorting and processing of raw
materials.”
Plans for the new facility will be further developed ahead of a final decision
in the next six months.