The global fight against plastic in the environment and with its harmful effects leads to the fact that a huge number of enterprises are trying to switch to the use of recycled plastic in their packaging, i.e. change to a closed cycle of the economy. And some of them succeed very successfully.

Three Austrian companies, Starlinger Viscotec, Greiner Packaging and PET-MAN, have joined forces to launch the production of fully recycled PET (rPET) cups for milk, cocoa and yoghurts for Austrian schools and kindergartens. These cups are not stamped. After use, the cups are picked up weekly by a licensed waste disposal company that will wash and shred them. The shredded material is cleaned and processed by Starlinger Viscotec. The output is rPET, which PET-MAN processes into sheets. From which Greiner Packaging is already thermoforming the same milk cups. Thus, a full-fledged closed cycle is obtained. Cup lids are made of aluminum or paper and are also recyclable.

The cost of such cups is about the same as for disposable ones made of polystyrene. This reduces CO2 emissions by up to 30% compared to the production of reusable glass bottles. In addition, rPET cups are lighter, require less material to make and less energy for subsequent cleaning than glass containers.

At the same time, packaging of products in such a container is possible using standard equipment for packaging in polymer cups and does not require any alterations for oneself.

The pilot launch of this technology was successfully completed in Upper Austria and the companies are now negotiating to expand the project to the national level.

Used materials from packaginginsights.com.