AWS looks to improve rPET image with food-grade certification
published by www.packagingnews.co.uk on 03/08/2009
AWS Eco Plastics hopes to restore confidence in post-consumer waste recycled PET after its product was certified as for direct food-grade applications.
AWS chief executive Jonathan Short expressed criticism of the press treatment of UK management and hoped they would pick up on the good news story.
"I would expect that this good news is picked up on by the press and given the same level of publicity as that given towards the end of last year suggesting recycling was worthless and the industry was dead and buried. We are, in fact, live and kicking," he said.
Short said substandard materials had caused UK customers to be sceptical about post-consumer waste material (PCW).
But the Newcastle-based firm hopes three months of analysis by Germany's Fraunhofer Institute and successful customer trials would "restore faith in recycling PCW back to food grade".
"This achievement shows our commitment to supplying the highest quality material into the market and is testament to our teams hard work," he said.
AWS's rPET pellet can now be used for direct food applications as it complies with European regulations on food contact materials.
The firm recently completed a £14m investment in reprocessing at its Lincolnshire plant.
