Industrial components manufacturer, Essentra Components, is now consistently achieving a 50/50 balance of virgin and post-consumer recycled plastics within its Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) product range.
The achievement means almost all LDPE products leaving Essentra’s facility at Kidlington in Oxford, will consist of 50% recycled content.
The company says this milestone represents a crucial step in making industrial plastics more environmentally sustainable by reducing the amount of virgin resin needed to produce products. By hitting the milestone, Essentra Components has demonstrated the viability of recycled plastics within high performance component parts.
As part of its drive to reduce carbon emissions, Essentra Components has also experimented with higher percentages, and as the sourcing of recyclate continues to improve, will introduce them into its production lines in due course.
Richard Sederman, Strategy and M&A Director at Essentra Components said the milestone demonstrates a clear proof of concept for sustainable manufacturing: “Reaching a 50/50 ratio is an incredible achievement not only for our team but for the wider plastics industry.
“We’ve demonstrated that the reliance on virgin plastics as a primary component is now an outdated concept. Provided the wider supply chain can maintain consistent supply of high performing recycled content plastic recyclate, we can continue innovating and increasing these ratios, in turn improving the carbon footprint of both our manufacturing processes and that of our customers.”
As part of its ongoing commitment to reduce its use of virgin materials, Essentra Components is now researching other areas in which it can utilise recycled materials, including recycled nylon for its fastener ranges.