Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 11th April 2024 Issue no. 1109

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BPI cuts waste levels by one third in six years

Polythene manufacturing company BPI Group - parent company of bpi.recycled products - has slashed its packaging waste by one third in the past six years, the company has revealed.

The 33.4% reduction since 2008 was measured as part of BPI's ongoing commitment to cutting the levels of waste generated by its manufacturing operations. BPI achieved the saving partly by minimising the amount of material used to package its own products - by the equivalent of 25,000 tonnes in the past three years on a like-for-like basis.

BPI has also reduced waste by down-gauging the packaging it converts for its customers - but only when this is possible without resulting in increased product spoilage. In 2013, BPI used and converted the least amount of packaging since the company's records began by replacing single use packaging with reusable packaging.

The Dumfries site redesigned the way it packages materials by increasing more finished products into the same amount of packaging; thus minimising waste. Also last year, two BPI sites achieved zero-waste-to-landfill.

John Haddow, Group Energy Manager at BPI, says: "We're extremely proud to have cut waste so significantly in the past six years. It wasn't easy to achieve this milestone figure but it's a testament to the commitment to innovation and sustainability that runs through our business that we were able to do so. We won't be resting on our laurels and will continue to look for ways to cut our packaging waste further in the coming years."

Waste reduction is just one aspect of BPI's sustainability programme. The company has also put in place a strategy to reduce energy consumption and mitigate its carbon footprint. Employees are encouraged to engage in the process with suggestions and by implementing energy reduction methods.
Meanwhile, BPI subsidiary bpi.recycled products recycles up to 70,000 tonnes of waste polythene every year as part of a closed loop recycling system, which saves it from being sent to landfill. The polythene is cleaned and turned into pellets, which can be used to create innovative 'second life' products. bpi.recycled products uses some of the pellets to create The Green Sack, a range of 100% recycled refuse & recycling sacks.

The Green Sack is made using waste farm polythene, such as used bale wrap and horticultural films which, because of their inherent strength, provide superior levels of performance. The Green Sack is certified under the Cleaning & Hygiene Suppliers Association's Manufacturing Standard Accreditation Scheme.

bpi.recycled products is the largest recycler of used polythene in Europe, recycling up to 70,000 tonnes of post-use polythene material from horticultural, commercial, retail, industrial and agricultural markets annually. As a result of its continuing commitment to operating in a sustainable way and to minimising the environmental impact of all of its activities, BPI won the Sustainability Award at the 2014 Scottish Corporate Awards.

T: 01773 841 852
E: [email protected]
W: www.bpirecycling.co.uk / www.bpipoly.com

4th September 2014