Double investment drives up output and quality at Duo UK

Polythene manufacturer and packaging supplier, Duo UK, has invested £55,000 in a second closed loop recycling machine at the same time as launching a new recycled packaging line consisting of almost 100 percent recycled product.

The line has been developed on the back of new research conducted in Duo’s quality control lab which itself saw investment earlier this autumn.

The new line, which uses just a tiny percentage of virgin masterbatch to colour the product, has been developed in response to customer demand and unlike many recycled polythene products is odour neutral, as Duo UK’s operations director Dale Brimelow explains: “The investment we made in our quality control lab means we can better test the blends we develop while our second closed loop recycling machine has enabled us to improve the segmentation of scrap. This means our recycled products are better quality and have less contaminants, which in turn removes the ‘bin bag’ smell often associated with recycled products.

“This means our recycled range is suitable for porous products, such as clothing, which previously could have been contaminated by the smell of old-style recycled packaging. More sophisticated quality monitoring also means we can produce a more consistent product in terms of quality and performance, both of which are important for label and glue adhesion.”

Duo UK’s 100 percent recycled mailing bag range is manufactured at its factory in Manchester, with the majority of recycled pellet coming from Duo’s own closed loop recycling operation and the remainder bought in.

“We see the green market, driven by consumer demand, as a significant trend in the packaging market and the investment in a second closed loop recycling machine will help us meet this demand,” continued Brimelow.