New Zealand's first recycled PET packaging plant opened

Flight Plastics’ new plastic packaging plant was this week opened by New Zealand Prime Minister John Key. It is the country’s first plastic packaging plant to manufacture food-grade PET packaging from recycled PET (RPET) flake.

Flight Plastics has been producing food-grade RPET plastic in Hampshire, England, for five years and is now introducing that technology to New Zealand at its recently redeveloped site in Lower Hutt. Director Derek Lander said the new plant “supports New Zealand’s domestic and export economy, enabling food producers to buy, for the first time, packaging made locally from imported recycled PET flakes”.

“Being able to manufacture RPET plastic products right here at the exact size and volume required means we can respond quickly and efficiently to changing customer demands,” Lander continued.

“The logical next step to be considered is expanding the plant further to produce the RPET flakes from PET drinks containers and food packaging collected at kerbside here in New Zealand. We are currently looking at the economics of installing a wash plant to do this.”

New Zealanders currently consume around 17,000 tonnes of PET plastics each year, with much of it used to make food and beverage packaging. But a recent survey commissioned by Flight Plastics shows that the people want to make the responsible choice, with Lander stating, “87% of New Zealanders want their packaging to be recyclable and to contain where possible recycled materials.”

Mike Sammons, sustainability manager for Foodstuffs NZ, said Flight Plastics’ investment in the plant is “the first step towards the Holy Grail of closed loop recycling in New Zealand”.