Boot's and Coca-Cola Enterprises Ltd Join Trial to Close Plastic Packaging Recycling Loop

Funded by WRAP (the Waste & Resources Action Programme), the rPET project has already seen Marks & Spencer working in conjunction with Closed Loop London to introduce post-use recycled plastic in the packaging for its 'Food to Go' range. Now, products from the two other partners in the trial - Boots and CCE - are available to consumers throughout the UK.

The CCE trials involve 500ml 'diet Coke' bottles as well as various other products of The Coca-Cola Company. It is the first time that CCE has trialled mechanically recycled plastic in its bottles in Great Britain. CCE is testing different types of recycled PET (including flake and pellet) at 25 per cent inclusion rate and around 1,000 tonnes of rPET will be used in total during the trial. All recycled materials have been fully approved by The Coca-Cola Company and are now in production, having passed CCE's stringent testing requirements.

Martin Rodgers, rPET Project Manager at CCE, says: "We are excited about this project and we anticipate that over 150 million 500ml bottles will be manufactured during the course of this trial. Support from WRAP has enabled CCE to evaluate the impact of different combinations of virgin and recycled PET and assess the viability of longer-term usage."

The products being trialled by Boots are also now on sale in stores. The company's high profile 'Ingredients' range is being packaged in bottles with a 30 per cent rPET content, providing the opportunity to research the use of rPET in a non-food sector. Capitalising on Boots' in house development, manufacturing and product evaluation expertise, the project will asses the viability of using rPET in terms of efficient manufacture, product quality and consumer acceptance.

Steve Owen, Polymers Consultant for Boots, explains: "Driving forward the use of recycled plastics in the UK is consistent with our approach to Corporate Social Responsibility. We are very positive about the trial and it could open up opportunities in more toiletry ranges and other packaging sectors in the future.

"We have used this WRAP programme to develop consumer awareness of recycling through pack labelling and other initiatives."

Dr Liz Goodwin, Director of Materials for WRAP, is very positive about the real commercial value of the trials. "We are delighted to be working with Boots and CCE on these high profile ranges. The M&S trials have already proved very encouraging and these latest projects will provide further valuable results to fuel the growing interest being shown by retailers and consumers in the use of recycled plastic in retail packaging."