After having installed a third extruder at its production site in Ritterhude / Germany, packaging producer Linpac (Birmingham / UK; www.linpac.com) is now able for the first time to deliver products made from up to 100% recycled content. The investment enables the company to meet rising demand for both PET and rPET in north-western Europe. Commenting on the new extruder, Linpac’s managing director for northern Europe Adam Barnett said, “It is vital that, as the German market continues its shift from PP towards PET, we are able to meet growing customer demand for products which are lighter, cheaper and more sustainable.”

The investment is the latest made by Linpac at its two German sites – aside from Ritterhude, it also operates a plant in Beeskow. Over the past five years, the UK group has sunk EUR 9m in these two facilities, including EUR 3m alone for PET extrusion and automation equipment in Ritterhude, in a bid to increase its market share in Germany and its environs (see also Plasteurope.com of 08.03.2013). Across Europe, use of both PET and rPET is rising thanks to their versatility, light weight, barrier and food safety properties as well as recyclability. Recycled PET has become increasingly popular in Germany, and many leading brands make a point of explicitly identifying their packaging solutions as made of recyclate (see also Plasteurope.com of 21.10.2015).

Linpac’s rPET production process and the ensuing product portfolio have been vetted and approved by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA, Parma / Italy; www.efsa.europa.eu).