Berry Global lands advanced recycled plastic deal with PureCycle amid growing customer demand

18 Nov 2021 --- Berry Global has secured its largest contract for advanced recycled plastic, increasing its supply to over 600 million pounds per year by 2025. The agreement with PureCycle will provide Berry Global with PureCycle’s Ultra-Pure Recycled resin. 

The plastic giant has also announced a 30% “circular plastics” target across its fast-moving consumer goods packaging by 2030, surpassing its previous goal to use 10% post-consumer recycled (PCR) resin by 2025. “Circular plastics” include recycled and renewable resins like bioplastics.

The producer has been actively expanding its recycled resin supply globally, including securing Borealis’ first volumes of circular polyolefins made from chemical recycling in April. The PureCycle deal marks its second recycled resin supply source based in North America.

Recent Rabobank research revealed advanced recycling continues to flourish in 2021, despite criticism from NGOs and media reports challenging the cost-effectiveness and environmental performance of these technologies.

North America gets circular
Berry Global indicates customer appetite for recycled material is on the rise as consumer demand for more environmentally sustainable packaging that maintains design, branding and functionality grows.

“Through our access to advanced recycled resin and technical expertise, Berry Global is a dependable partner for customers in the implementation of sustainable solutions,” comments Tom Salmon, Berry Global’s chairman and CEO.

“By using our relationships with top suppliers and the latest technologies, we bring our customers premier access to in-demand circular resins.”Advanced recycling can provide a second life for difficult-to-recycle materials.

According to Innova Market Insights, 36% of US consumers regard packaging made from recycled materials as an environmentally sustainable packaging choice, second to reusable packaging (45%).

Similarly, 49% of Mexican consumers perceive recycled packaging as a responsible choice, but second to reusable packaging (55%). 

Meanwhile, 38% of US consumers and 58% of Mexican consumers say they are willing to pay more for more environmentally sustainable packaging.

The market researcher also found 65% of US consumers and 85% of Mexican consumers believe industry, government and waste management companies need to cooperate to improve packaging recyclability.

Over half (53%) of US consumers believe plastic offers good (29%) or excellent (24%) recyclability. Likewise, a majority of Mexican consumers (60%) believe plastic provides good (32%) or excellent (28%) recyclability.

Ultra-pure resins
In support of a circular economy, Berry Global harnesses advanced recycling to provide a second life for difficult-to-recycle materials as food-grade packaging. While post-consumer resin often lacks the high-clarity customers desire, circular resins from advanced recycling boast “exceptional clarity,” the company says.Berry Global is equipping Wendy’s with recycled plastic cups in partnership with LyondellBasell.

PureCycle’s patented recycling process separates color, odor, and contaminants from plastic waste feedstock, transforming it into ultra-pure recycled polypropylene (PP). The recycling service converts waste plastic into virgin-like plastic, fully “closing the loop” on the reuse of recycled plastics while making recycled PP more accessible at scale.

The material will be supplied to Berry Global in summer 2023 for manufacturing at one of Berry Global’s ISCC PLUS certified facilities, providing customers with optimal material traceability. Berry Global recently revealed its first three facilities in North America to achieve ISCC PLUS certification.

In related news, the Fortune 500 manufacturer is transitioning Wendy’s fast-food restaurants from plastic-lined paper cups to single-substrate, clear plastic cups for drinks. LyondellBasell will supply the advanced recycled resin to Berry Global for conversion into single-substrate, clear plastic cups.

This year, Berry Global also joined The Recycling Partnership’s Polypropylene Recycling Coalition, aimed at increasing PP recycling access in the US. 

Meanwhile, PureCycle has also signed a memorandum of understanding with Korean global chemical company SK Global Chemical to build and operate a recycling facility in South Korea, which will turn PP waste into ultra-pure PP resin.

By Joshua Poole