Packaging

AWS UNVEILS MAMMOTH PLASTIC SORTING FACILITY

Thursday 25. November 2010 - Plant is the largest and most sophisticated in Europe; Opening to signal a new dawn in UK low-carbon packaging

More than 250 guests were present this morning to witness the official opening of AWS Eco Plastics’ new facility in North Lincolnshire. A little over 14 months after the plant was devastated by a fire which destroyed its entire sorting and storage area, the plastic bottle sorting facility was unveiled by DEFRA Director of Waste and Resources, Neil Thornton. Capable of processing more than 100,000 tonnes of waste plastic or 2,000,000,000 bottles a year, the Hemswell factory is the largest and most sophisticated in Europe.
Valued at over £17 million, the new facility features state-of-the-art equipment developed by leading manufacturers Stadler, TITECH and Herbold, and is capable of processing a diverse range of plastic feedstocks. Indeed, because it boasts an industry-leading 17 polymer and optical sorters the plant has a flexible output of 11 different streams of plastic, ensuring that it is virtually zero-waste.
A key market for the new facility is the creation of food-grade PET. In recent years the UK has seen a huge increase in demand for the plastic, as major food and beverage brands have looked to reduce their environmental impact through the use of low-carbon packaging. Independent research has shown that products made with recycled plastic from the AWS Eco Plastic site are 68% less carbon-intensive than packaging made with virgin materials.
Driven in part by this, the business has aggressive expansion plans, expecting to increase processing capacity at the site to 140,000 tonnes by mid 2011. With the UK projected to recycle 300,000 tonnes of plastic bottles per annum by the end of the year, this will mean that the Hemswell facility would single-handedly be responsible for almost 50% of the national total in 2010. The business employs over 130 people with 110 of those employed on the processing site itself. Having recently acquired additional land surrounding the site the company has the space required for further expansion.
Commenting on the announcement, Peter Gangsted Chairman of AWS Eco Plastics said: “The fire in 2009 was a major blow, but there was a silver-lining to it. It allowed us to redevelop and introduce the next-generation machinery that we have today, machinery that is the most sophisticated in the world. That we have been able to rebuild in such a short amount of time is a testament to the hard work of our suppliers, customers and above all our staff.”
Jonathan Short, Managing Director of AWS Eco Plastics added: “Today is just the first step for AWS Eco Plastics. There is huge potential in the UK market and this can only grow as the demand for low-carbon food and drink packaging increases. This is a growth industry in which the UK has the potential to be a world-leader, a prime example of the Government’s low-carbon economy.”