Wrap found a number of factors affecting the quality of rPET, which included a combination of packaging design, quality of recovered bottle bales from some materials recovery facilities (MRFs) and reprocessing methods.
Recycling collection systems
Speaking to PN about the report, Holfeld Plastics operations director Frank Coleman said that he welcomed the report and that Wrap "was right". He added: "With the urgency to focus on recycling, this has led to some of the focus diverting away from quality. There is not a joined up approach with councils' collection systems."
In a statement, the firm said that there is little doubt that the inferior quality of rPET in the market today is not only leading to a serious shortage of good quality recyclate but also inflated prices and an increasing dependency on virgin feedstock. This has turned the clock back on years of work by Wrap and the industry as a whole, according to Holfeld.
Coleman said that the cases of poor quality rPET are severely limiting the amount of recyclate that can be safely sourced for food contact packaging.
Coleman added: "From Holfeld's perspective we have previously invested heavily in machinery and screening equipment to enable us to cope with high levels of contaminates as such as metal particles, paper etc… (our superclean process) we have not noticed a fall in the quality from our current supplier base but prices are higher compared to virgin feedstocks.
"We have not seen a shortage but this is probably linked to price as we have contracts in place so suppliers are probably having to pay dear for the right quality feedstuffs."
