Leeds-based LVF has become one of the first packaging companies in the UK to manufacture and sell products made from BreakdownPET, a biodegradable and fully recyclable plastic material that is designed to quickly, naturally, and safely decompose in landfill.
LVF added BreakdownPET to its offering late last year, and already Podpak, a highly innovative, single-service specialist from Bath, has made the switch to it.
Nigel Coates, Managing Director of LVF, said: “The demonisation of plastic packaging over the last few months has been extreme to say the very least, but like the vast majority in our industry, we’ve been striving towards delivering environmentally friendly solutions for many years.”
“We recycle close to 100 per cent of all waste we produce, and have done for as long as I remember, and prior to the introduction of BreakdownPET, we used rPET, which is fully recyclable and contains a minimum of 80 per cent post-consumer waste.”
“BreakdownPET is the future of plastic packaging material, It biodegrades in landfill, and is currently undergoing tests that look certain to prove it is compostable in non-commercial facilities.”
Gemma Earl, Podpak’s Commercial Director, said: “We purchase bespoke, multi-cavity thermoformed trays from LVF. These were previously made using rPET and were fully recyclable.”
“The problem though is that a significant percentage of plastic waste still ends up in landfill, so when Nigel and his team from LVF introduced Breakdown PET to us, we were eager to make the switch to a material that really can rectify a major environmental issue, even though it costs us a little more to buy in.”