Quality testing for recycled plastic content ahead of plastic packaging tax

Berry Global’s plastics recycling facility in Heanor, UK, has opened a Centre of Excellence, adding new quality evaluation measures for the recycled material that is used to produce the company’s Sustane recycled polymer.

The new laboratory facility, which complements Berry’s existing testing capabilities, analyses the material composition of incoming scrap material, resulting in a higher quality of recyclate for use in the manufacture of second life products.

This latest service is being offered for customers seeking to incorporate at least 30% recycled material into their plastic packaging to meet the requirements of the forthcoming UK Plastics Tax. Jagan Mohanraj, technical director, Berry Global, said:

“Following Berry Heanor’s successful EUCertPlast accreditation, this new investment in our recycling laboratory facilities helps to ensure the consistency and quality of our Sustane grades, giving our customers the confidence that the performance of their packaging will not be compromised in any way by the inclusion of recycled material. This is particularly essential for packaging used in heavy duty applications such as collation shrink film and collection sacks. The Centre of Excellence exemplifies our Berry promise – bringing innovation for the world and added value solutions for our customers.”