PET recyclates are processed and then compacted / baled at Greenstar's state of the art 'super MRF' near Birmingham, UK
Danone, the French mineral water firm, has agreed to have Ireland-based Greenstar supply the company with around 5,000 metric tons of recycled PET plastic containers a year.
Danone's British bottled water brands Volvic and Evian will be involved in the process that has been endorsed by the Waste & Resources Action Program.
That number is expected to increase to 12,000 metric tons of PET plastic by the year 2011. According to a spokesman for Greenstar, roughly one metric ton of plastic bottles includes around 65,000 bottles, meaning that the 5,000 metric ton amount this year equals around 325 million bottles.
The PET plastics will be processed at Greenstar’s super Materials Recycling Facility in Birmingham, U.K.
In an article by the Times Online, Danone Waters UK external communications director Trevor Datson said the plans were part of the company’s efforts to offset the plastic that Danone introduced into the UK. As well as recycling used bottles he added: "We also wanted to make sure the plastic we recovered goes back into our bottles."
"PET availability is woefully low in the UK and we can’t control that but we do want to contribute to its use. That is why we have chosen Greenstar to supply the PET. By doing this our impact is neutralized," Datson added.
In addition to the collection program, Greenstar will invest an additional ￡500,000 in Volvic-branded recycling activities in the UK over the coming three years.
