Food packaging solution manufacturer Faerch has opened a new polyethylene terephthalate (PET) tray line at its Cirrec recycling plant in Duiven, the Netherlands. 

The line's opening event included keynote speeches from sustainability experts, including Paul Polman, who advocated for a 'Net Positive' approach to resource management. 

The new PET line represents a significant investment over five years, aimed at addressing the need for handling recyclable plastic packaging material.  

Faerch’s initiative is also a significant step towards circularity, with nine billion of its products currently made of PET, a material that can be recycled indefinitely.  

The company aims to create a global commodity of circular tray material, with the Cirrec plant reportedly being a critical component in this mission. 

Faerch CEO Lars Gade Hansen said: “This is not just a day of celebration for Faerch Group; it is a symbol of our commitment to reshaping a broken system and moving our industry from linear to circular business practice.  

“This transformation calls for collaborative efforts, and the invitation to our stakeholders to join us today also stands as an invitation to shape the road forward together with us.” 

The Cirrec plant is poised to make a substantial impact on the packaging industry, with Faerch holding a 20% market share and selling approximately 24 billion products annually.  

The company said it is working towards converting materials from polystyrene (PS) and polypropylene (PET) to PET to achieve 100% circularity.  

In February this year, the company launched its new Tumbler range, designed with a minimum of 30% post-consumer recycled material, for the foodservice market.