Polykar Industries, a manufacturer of flexible packaging products, has developed an innovative plastics manufacturing facility in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
The ground-breaking ceremony for the facility was held in July 2021 and it was opened in December 2022. The facility added 30 million pounds of production capacity to the company.
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The new facility forms phase one of a C$40m ($32m) investment aimed at creating a centre of excellence dedicated to the development of flexible and compostable packaging in Edmonton.
Polykar’s facility expanded the company’s customer reach to serve the commercial, institutional and retail sectors and increased its customers and valued suppliers in Western Canada. It also helps the company to develop sustainable and innovative products.
The project adds more value to the local production of polyethylene in Alberta and contributes to the growth of the manufacturing industry in the Edmonton metropolitan region. It created 50 new jobs with the potential to extend to 70 in the future.
Polykar plastics manufacturing facility location
The plastics manufacturing facility is located in the Discovery Business Park on the southern side of Edmonton, near Edmonton International Airport.
Edmonton was selected as the ideal location for the plant due to its highly qualified and diverse labour force.
Polykar announced the acquisition of the site for the construction of the new facility in September 2019.
The company acquired an additional 1.5 acres of land in 2022 towards the north of the facility to accommodate its future growth plans.
Polykar plastics manufacturing facility design and features
Polykar plastics manufacturing facility occupies an area 50,000ft² on a three-acre site. It includes a two-storey administration wing at the front and a large plant behind the building.
The facility is equipped with advanced robotics and automation. It also features a recycling facility with an annual capacity of 4,000t of recycled pellets, which enables the company to help the Alberta region divert plastic waste from landfill.
The recycling facility is equipped with an INTAREMA® 1310 TVEplus® recycling system with a backflush filter. The machine recycles printed low-density polyethylene material and industrial waste.
The facility’s design is inspired by the concept of extrusion of raw plastic materials into finished products such as plastic bags. The concept of extrusion is reflected in the diagonal aluminium fins stretching across the facade of the administration wing.
Polykar product portfolio
This new facility supports the production of different types of plastic films and bags for use by the agri-food sector and businesses such as hotels, offices and restaurants.
Polykar’s product portfolio includes a range of food-grade poly bags. The company also offers pound bags, including perforated bags, regular pound bags (in retail packs and in bulk) and freezer bags.
In addition, Polykar offers recycling services, polyethylene films, food packaging solutions and custom bags on a roll.
The company’s certified compostable bags comply with the ASTM D6400 standard specifications for compostable plastics and the BNQ-9902-001 norm of the Bureau de Normalisation du Quebec.
The bags are also certified by the Biodegradable Products Institute and the US Composting Council. The company’s packaging materials have also received the Compliance Global Standard accreditation.
Contractors involved
FarMor Architecture was awarded a contract to provide architectural design services to the flexible packaging manufacturing facility.
Design Works Engineering, an engineering company, provided civil engineering, structural engineering, mechanical engineering and energy modelling services for the project.
Scott Builders, a construction services provider, was responsible for the construction of the facility.
The recycling system was supplied by EREMA Engineering Recycling Maschinen und Anlagen, a provider of plastics recycling machines and components.
Marketing commentary on Polykar
Polykar is a leading Canadian manufacturer of flexible packaging products. Founded in 1987 in Saint-Laurent, Quebec, the company began as a family business and has now become one of the biggest Canadian manufacturers of certified compostable bags, polyethylene films and garbage bags.
The company sells products to distributors of food, packaging and sanitation products across Canada. It is also a supplier to major buying groups, including Itwal, Colabor, Adapt, Wood Wyant and Dissan.
Polykar is a member and industry participant of the Canadian Plastics Industry Association, the Canadian Sanitation Supply Association (now known as ISSA Canada), the Composite Council of Canada and the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.
The company is also Canada’s first plastic bag manufacturer to hold ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 certifications.
