Recycled plastics is a value-adding component in the product manufacturing process in the AVK Plastics companies where thousands of tonnes of recycled plastics go into production every year.
The mission of the AVK Plastics group of companies is to contribute to a circular economy of plastics through the development, manufacturing, and sales of injection moulded products from recycled plastics.
AVK Plastics’ major product categories are transport pallets, surface boxes, and waste containers. In addition to marketing their own products, AVK Plastics also manufacture products and components for other companies within the AVK Group as well as outside the group.
Circularity of materials is becoming increasingly important, and recycling is an important part of AVK’s business. The growth of the world’s population and our current way of living is causing us to consume natural resources faster than they can be generated. Environmental pollution from end-of-life product waste is another major topic, especially for materials as lasting as plastics. Implementing circularity also reduces CO2 emissions significantly. All good reasons to work with recycling
COLLABORATION TO INCREASE THE QUANTITY OF RECYCLED PLASTICS
In the financial year 2023/24, AVK Plastics recycled 33,000 tonnes of post-consumer plastics, an 18% increase from the previous year. AVK Plastics actively pursue value chain cooperation to develop product applications for unused plastic waste streams to support increased recycling levels. One example is the partnership with Recon Polymers that focuses on recycling beverage cartons.
Beverage cartons, commonly used for packaging various beverages, pose a recycling challenge. In 2023, Tetrapak, a major brand in this sector, alone sold 179 billion packages. In response to increasing demands for recycling, Tetrapak invests €40 million annually to improve the collection and recycling of these packages. In 2023, about 1.3 million tonnes of beverage cartons were collected for recycling, an 8% increase resulting in a global collection rate of 27%. Source: TetraPak Sustainability Report FY23 p.34
A typical beverage carton, e.g. used for juice, consists of 70% paper, with plastic used in the closure system and a plastic-aluminium barrier layer in the wall of the package to extend shelf life. During the recycling process at paper mills, a plastic residue containing aluminium, known as PolyAl, remains
Establishing a pilot production in 2017, Recon Polymers, based in the Netherlands, has developed an efficient process to recycle PolyAl. Since early 2022, AVK Plastics has worked with Recon Polymers to optimise this recycling process, finetuning properties of the PolyAl granules for use in AVK Plastics’ factories. These granules are used as an ingredient for several polyolefin-based material formulations that AVK Plastics uses in the production of transport pallets.
With financial support from Tetrapak, Recon Polymers’ pilot production has become a commercial manufacturing facility. Meanwhile, AVK Plastics has invested in material handling equipment at their Balk operation and has over the past financial year used about 3,000 tonnes of PolyAl.
Advanced Manufacturing
The AVK Group companies supply products to many industries. We offer high-quality materials, components, and solutions developed and made with specialized expertise.
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Sustainability & AVK
The AVK Group develops, manufactures, and markets high-quality, long-lasting products used in vital infrastructure like water, wastewater, energy, and various industries. These products support sustainable development, health, and the environment. AVK upholds high ethical standards worldwide, balancing economic, environmental, and social responsibility, and supports the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
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