Flight Plastics has opened a new plastic packaging facility in Lower Hutt, New Zealand, to produce food-grade polyethylene terephthalate (PET) packaging from recycled materials.
The facility is the nation’s first plant to produce plastic packaging made of recycled PET (RPET) flake. Flight Plastics currently operates plants that produce food-grade RPET plastic in the UK.
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Flight Plastics director Derek Lander said that the majority of the company’s products that are manufactured at its plant in Hampshire, England are made of recycled PET flakes.
"Research shows that 87% of New Zealanders want their packaging to be recyclable and to contain where possible recycled materials," Lander added.
The company’s Lower Hutt plant will support New Zealand’s domestic and export economy, enabling food producers to buy packaging made locally from imported recycled PET flakes for the first time.
The company aims to respond to changing customer demands with the production of RPET plastic packaging at the required size and volume.
Flight Plastics also plans to expand the plant to manufacture the RPET flakes from PET drinks containers and food packaging, which will be collected kerbside in New Zealand. The country currently consumes around 17,000t of PET plastics annually.
Image: Lower Hutt plant will be expanded to manufacture RPET flakes from PET drinks containers and food packaging. Photo: courtesy of bplanet / FreeDigitalPhotos.net.
