London, UK – November 2019 – Klöckner Pentaplast (kp) – a global leader in sustainable fresh food protective packaging, together with Viridor – the largest UK-owned recycling, renewable energy and waste management company, have agreed a transformative five-year collaboration, locking in an annual supply from Viridor of 8,000 tonnes of post-consumer recycled PET to kp.

The agreement strengthens a long-standing partnership and common commitments towards a sustainable and circular economy for food packaging. Securing a stable supply of post-consumer material is fundamental to drive change at scale for an improved recycling system in the UK.

The five-year agreement will be fulfilled by Viridor’s new £65m Avonmouth Resource Recovery Centre which will make kp their largest rPET flake customer and subsequently their largest buyer of rPET flake in the UK.

In the first two years, Viridor’s largest UK multi-polymer processing plant will produce 60 kilo-tonnes (KT) of recycled plastics from 81KT/year feedstock consisting of 1.6 billion bottles, pots, tubs and trays. With the plan to raise volume to 63KT from 1.7 billion bottles, pots, tubs and trays in year three, increasing volume year on year. From this, 8,000 tonnes a year of the recovered and processed post-consumer recycled PET will be supplied to kp.

kp is delighted that this exclusive collaboration with Viridor helps towards achieving kp’s commitments to increase use of recycled content in their packaging as part of their Positive Plastics Pledge, launched in September 2018, working towards a true circular economy.

Adam Barnett, President of the Food Packaging division at kp, said: “We are thrilled to announce this extended agreement with Viridor, which has been a significant partner of kp’s for many years.

We have celebrated the first successful year of our Positive Plastics Pledge and are proving that plastic is a valuable material and when managed responsibly through the right infrastructure, can be collected, sorted and recycled into sustainable, recyclable packaging, while maintaining food safety, security and ultimately preventing food waste. We are engaging consumers through our on-packaging messaging, advising them that the food they buy is packaged with protective material made from 100% recycled PET, and is recyclable.

We also want to take our partnership with Viridor to the next level of circularity as we continue to meet our common goals in true closed loop tray to tray recycling. As a strong and stable end market, kp is driving change at scale for a circular future.”

Viridor’s Managing Director of Recycling, Simon Hicks, said the agreement with kp was part of the company’s continuing commitment to translating circular economy ambitions into a practical reality in the UK.

He said: “Viridor has listened to the feedback it has received in its annual UK Recycling Index which tracks public sentiment on recycling. UK residents want their recycling efforts at home rewarded with clear evidence that plastic which has been designed to be recyclable and can be returned to the economy. This is what the partnership with kp will accomplish. We will continue to encourage depositing the Right Stuff in the Right Bin and we, at Viridor, will then ensure that UK plastic is given another life. It need not be, single use.”

Viridor Resource Management Managing Director Keith Trower said: “Viridor is delighted to have formed this partnership with kp, a company with which we have enjoyed a longstanding relationship. It is this kind of collaboration which will have a meaningful impact on creating a truly circular economy.

“It also demonstrates that plastic is not only an extremely versatile and valuable resource. Both companies have extremely high standards in terms of sustainability commitments, and this is how we deliver significant environmental and economic benefits.