Bottle-to-bottle technologies have been established in food-grade PET recycling for over 20 years. However, PET thermoforming sheet, and in particular tray-to-tray recycling of food containers such as meat or ready meal trays, is still a recent development. Thanks to the successful pioneering work of Faerch and EREMA, food trays can now also be recycled safely, economically and energy-efficiently on an industrial scale – with a proportion of up to 100% rPET.
The Danish company Faerch, a leading manufacturer of food packaging, has established itself as a pioneer in the recycling of rPET thermoforming film. These films are mainly used for the production of trays, which must fulfil strict requirements for food safety, shelf life and a clear view of the packaged product.
Up to 100 per cent recycled post-consumer PET
The trays that Faerch produces are fully recyclable and, depending on the PET type (CPET, MAPET or APET), consist of up to 100 per cent recycled post-consumer PET (rPET). A key cornerstone for the high quality standards of rPET thermoforming sheet is EREMA's energy efficient VACUREMA® system with SafeFlake technology.
While bottle-to-bottle recycling has been successfully established for 20 years, closing the material loop for PET trays has lagged far behind. ‘It was clear to us that with the appropriate modification of our flexible VACUREMA® technology, tray-to-tray recycling could also become a success story. Faerch was our first customer who was just as convinced of this as we were,’ explains Christoph Wöss, Business Development Manager at EREMA Group GmbH.
"The specific overall energy consumption of a VACUREMA® Prime system is only 0.295kWh/kg. This is one of the best energy efficiency values compared to conventional PET processing lines on the market.”
Christoph Wöss, Business Development Manager at EREMA Group GmbH.
Faerch's own recycling plant ‘CIRREC’ in the Netherlands sorts, washes and recycles the PET bales received from collection and sorting companies throughout Europe. The rPET flakes and regranulate are supplied to packaging manufacturers as well as being reused in the company's own production.
With this sustainable and innovative approach, Faerch and EREMA are setting new standards in the recycling of PET food packaging and making a significant contribution to the circular economy.
At Faerch's own recycling plant "CIRREC" in the Netherlands, PET bales obtained from collection and sorting companies throughout Europe are sorted, washed and recycled. Both post-consumer rPET flakes and pellets are supplied to packaging manufacturers and reused in the company's own production (pictures: copyright Faerch A/S).
