US' Berry builds recycling ecosystem for nonwovens customers

Products under the Endura product line are recognised under the SCS recycled content certification, which measures the percentage of recycled content for the purpose of making an accurate claim in the marketplace, allowing customers the ability to include the SCS logo on-pack. In an effort to reduce waste, Berry began the manufacturing of Endura products through recycling the company’s post-industrial waste from its operations. The company has added to its Endura product line through the additions of Endura Scrubby and Endura meltblown, the company said in a press release.

Berry introduced the closed-loop recycling ecosystem earlier this year with manufacturing spanning six of its existing European locations. Through the ecosystem, Berry supplies customers with nonwoven materials, receives post-industrial waste from the conversion processes of its customers, and lastly incorporates the recycled content into Berry’s Endura nonwovens line. Within the Endura line, Berry offers spunbond products containing up to 90 per cent recycled content for use in applications such as disinfectant wipes, home and bedding, roofing, and carpet tiles.

Through the introduction of the Endura collection and recycling scheme for spunbound materials, Berry aims to increase the availability of post-industrial recycled materials, reducing dependence on virgin polymers. Increasing the circularity of its nonwovens products, Berry further increases its access to valuable recycled plastic. The use of post-industrial materials results in a 70 per cent reduction of CO2 emissions during the manufacturing process, per kilogram versus virgin materials. This reduction in CO2 emissions directly impacts Berry’s Science Based Target to reduce absolute scope 1+2 emissions 25 per cent from 2019.

Within the Endura ecosystem, Berry collaborates with customers to collect and repelletise nonwovens waste from customer operations. In turn, the material collected re-enters the product stream in the form of new nonwovens materials for customers.

“Customers look to Berry for help in reaching their sustainability goals. Through our size and scale, we have the unique ability to invest and commercialise innovative, sustainable solutions to increase recycled content, reduce emissions, and promote circularity,” Achim Schalk, EVP/GM health, hygiene, and specialties EMEIA for Berry, said.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (GK)