Origin Materials begins PET cap production for increased recyclability

Technology company Origin Materials has launched the production of PET caps at its manufacturing site in Michigan, US. The CapFormer line can produce durable, recyclable plastic-only closure caps. 

The company uses a patented biomass conversion system to transform carbon into more eco-friendly materials, which it then uses in its caps. It expects to sell the caps quickly, with some contracts already signed.

Origin Material’s CEO and co-founder John Bissell says: “Producing PET closures at commercial volumes, on the first Origin CapFormer System, in our production center in Michigan is an important milestone in bringing our breakthrough caps to market.” 

Alongside existing cap production, Origin Materials is expected to introduce more Cap Former Systems throughout the year, scaling production to meet growing consumer demand. 

“The CapFormer line is meeting our expectations and is expected to produce hundreds of millions of PET caps each year. We are continually improving our technologies and manufacturing process techniques so that future lines will have even higher production rates and even better unit economics,” says Bissell. 

In other cap production news, Refinverse, Mitsubishi Chemical, Toyo Seikan Group, Kewpie, Kasumi, and Kashima City partnered to launch a closed-loop recycling project of salad dressing caps in Japan.

The Pla-relay Project combines expertise from the local government, a waste collecting company, a chemical manufacturer, a packaging manufacturer, a food manufacturer, and a supermarket.

Meanwhile, Japan-based technology company Nissha partnered with Blue Ocean Closures to develop and scale up plastic-free bottle closures. Nissha will become co-owner of Blue Ocean Closures, combining technologies with environmentally conscious processes and materials.