Weekly Roundup: PepsiCo launches refillable glass bottles, SK Geo Centric and Plastic Energy scale “world’s first” plastic recycling complex

13 Jan 2023 --- This week in industry news, PepsiCo launched refillable glass bottles for its flagship brands to meet the company’s recent targets for reusable products. Meanwhile, Berry Superfos’ facility in La Genête, France, became RecyClass certified to reassure consumers of its products’ high recycled content and SK Geo Centric partnered with British company Plastic Energy to introduce the technology to build a pyrolysis plant.

In Brief: Eco-centric launches
PepsiCo’s released a refillable glass bottle for all its brands. Simonds Farsons Cisk, partners of PepsiCo and bottlers of the Pepsi-Cola portfolio, launched the single-serve glass bottle for the brands Pepsi-Cola and Pepsi Max, 7up and 7up Free and Mirinda. The company stated the new design complements a similar composition for the PET 1.5 and 0.5-liter bottle range launched on the local market last year. The bottle complements PepsiCo’s announcement to double the percentage of all beverage servings it sells delivered through reusable models from 10% to 20% by building out refillable plastic and glass offerings.

Quadpack’s Idol Woodacity Solo Twist Compact was designed for both right and left-handed people.Wood-based packaging innovator, Quadpack has unveiled the Idol Woodacity Solo Twist Compact. The beauty compact is entirely made of wood from European environmentally sustainably-managed forests. The casing is refillable while featuring a Solo Twist closure system, bringing an inclusive gesture for both right- and left-handed consumers. The closure has an embedded mirror in the cap, with the top and base of the compact being designed as separate parts, allowing the cap to be used as a pocket mirror.

Sirane launched a new eco-friendly salmon board that is recyclable and cost-effective compared to traditional boards. The Earthboard Eco board was engineered to provide the same performance as conventional boards in an easily recycled format and comparable cost-wise with the plastic-coated boards commonly used. Sirane also developed a range of pearlescent water-based coatings, which allows it to supply the boards in the familiar colors gold, silver and black. 

In Brief: Certifications and awards
The Berry Superfos facility in La Genête, France, became RecyClass certified, enabling it to offer RecyClass labeling on non-food packaging pails produced at the facility. RecyClass is a voluntary, cross-industry initiative that advances plastic packaging recyclability and promotes the traceability of plastic waste and recycled plastic content across Europe. The certification demonstrates the degree of recyclability of plastic packaging and the recycled content of plastics used in products. “Many of our customers require a reliable way to show their customers and the authorities that their packaging solutions are recyclable and contain recycled material,” says Sébastien Morey, factory manager at Berry Superfos La Genête. 

ProAmpac received two nominations from the 2022 PAC Global Awards for its design approach for e-commerce packaging formats. The Scotts Miracle-Gro’s Plant Rescue Outdoor Plant Potion was nominated in the Package Brand Marketing category. In the Packaging Innovation category, Amazon’s ProActive Recyclable Paper Mailer for ice cream delivery was nominated. The category winners will be announced during PAC Global’s Futures Edge Summit and Awards Celebration in New York, US, on February 7. Plastic energy and SK Geo Centric partner to build a new chemical recycling plant. 

In Brief: New partnerships 
SK Geo Centric signed a contract with Plastic Energy, which specializes in the chemical recycling of plastic waste, completing the “world’s first” plastic recycling complex to be built in 2025. The company aims to introduce the technology to build a pyrolysis plant in the Ulsan plastic recycling complex. SK Geo Centric plans to improve pyrolysis oil to an even higher quality by creating a pyrolysis oil post-treatment plant that implements the company’s technologies. SK Geo Centric will start the construction process for its pyrolysis plant this year. The two companies signed a memorandum of understanding agreeing to respond preemptively to growing global demand by establishing a joint venture to develop opportunities to establish new advanced recycling facilities following Ulsan in the Seoul metropolitan area, China, Japan and other key markets. 

Mondi acquired the Duino mill near Trieste, Italy, from the Burgo Group. Mondi plans to invest around €200 million (US$217 million) in converting the existing lightweight coated mechanical paper machine at the mill into a high-quality, cost-competitive recycled containerboard machine with an annual capacity of around 420,000 metric tons. The mill’s location is optimal for sourcing paper for recycling, supplying Mondi’s corrugated solutions plants in central Europe and Turkey and serving the growing local Italian market. The converted machine is expected to start-up in 2025.

By Sabine Waldeck