Eastman Chemical Co., Kingsport, Tenn., has organized a consortium to identify solutions to issues surrounding PET bottles and full-wrap labels in the recycling stream. The group includes members from more than 30 companies across the value chain, and is charged with researching the issues to better understand the problems and developing near-term and long-term solutions to benefit all involved parties.

According to Eastman Chemical, about 80 percent of full-wrap labels in North America are found on PET containers. As these labels grow in popularity, many PET bottles also have been down-gauged. The combination of these two elements has exacerbated the challenge recyclers face in processing these containers.

“There’s been a lot of discussion in the marketplace about the recycling of containers with full-wrap labels, and we thought it was time a group formed to collaboratively discuss the challenges and work toward holistic, win-win solutions for everyone, including those companies that process and recycle containers,” says Holli Whitt, market development manager, sustainability for specialty plastics, Eastman Chemical Co. “Full-wrap labels are becoming more popular with brand owners because they offer increased shelf appeal that can impact consumer purchasing decisions and brand loyalty. We want to find solutions that will allow brand owners to continue using these labels to secure brand recognition, shelf appeal and market share while mitigating the challenges recyclers are experiencing.”

According to a release, consortium members conclude there likely will need to be a combination of solutions to address the issues. Currently, those solutions include floatable labels, label perforation to aid in removing labels at reclaimers’ facilities, delabeling equipment availability at reclaimers’ facilities and consumers removing the label from the end product prior to reclamation.

Members of the consortium include representatives from consumer goods manufacturers, resin producers, film extruders, print converters and label producers, equipment manufacturers, bottlers and packagers, plastics recyclers and independent testing firms.

“We are working on the right combination of solutions to get the highest impact that makes the most economic sense,” Whitt says. “At the upcoming February meeting, consortium members will close some of the knowledge gaps that currently exist and continue to assess potential solutions and how the solutions might work together best.”

European Metal Recycling (EMR), a United Kingdom-based metals recycling firm, has acquired the scrap metal company Henry Gray, which operates a scrap processing facility in Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland. With the purchase, EMR now has seven collection centers in Scotland and more than 70 throughout the U.K.

According to EMR, the acquisition of Henry Gray has “secured EMR’s expansion into the Fife area of Scotland.” In a news release, the company says development work is already underway at the site with a new double weighbridge planned for installation in the near future. The improvements are designed to ease congestion at the entrance and maximize onsite efficiency

“This is an exciting opportunity we couldn’t pass up,” says William Gray, founder of Henry Gray, who has now joined EMR’s management team. “It’s business as normal for us, but with the added security and [the]backing of one of the world’s biggest and most successful scrap metal companies.”

“We’ve been eager to move into Fife for some time now,” says EMR Manager Andrew Sheppard. “We’re looking forward to building the already strong Henry Gray scrap metal business further and have welcomed the founding family into the EMR Group.”

The Australian Packaging Covenant (APC), along with the Queensland (Australia) Government, have announced plans to provide equal funding totaling more than $600,000 to help in the construction of a plastics recycling facility in South East Queensland.

“The APC has identified a need to increase the recovery and recycling of plastic waste in Queensland and industry - through the APC -is pleased to collaborate with the Queensland Government and Replas to make this happen,” says Stan Moore, CEO of the Gordon, Australia-based APC.

Replas, based in Carrum Downs, Australia, has developed technology to reprocess plastic scrap into a range of recycled-plastic products suitable for outdoor use.

According to the APC, the new Replas facility will be the only operation in Queensland that is able to process “a full range of soft and rigid plastic packaging materials” including plastic scrap such as shopping bags, shrink wrap film and wrap from landfills.

The facility will reprocess locally collected plastic scrap and initially make products such as fencing and posts.

Finland-based company UPM has announced plans to slash the production of printing and writing paper by around 580,000 metric tons. The cuts will take place at its mills in Finland, Germany and France.
The company cited the continued decline in demand for printing and writing paper and significant overcapacity throughout Europe as reasons for the cuts.

Additionally, UPM has recently announced plans to cut production of coated magazine paper by around 270,000 metric tons per year at its UPM Stracel paper mill in France. Combining the cuts at Stracel and the new cuts UPM will be removing around 850,000 metric tons of capacity in early 2013.

The most recent announced cuts include the following:

• the permanent closure of paper machine 3 at UPM Rauma mill in Finland;
• the permanent closure of paper machine 4 at UPM Ettringen in Germany;
• the sale or other exit of UPM’s Docelles mill in France; and
• subject to further analysis, streamlining in the paper business and UPM’s global functions.

According to UPM’s plan, its Rauma and Ettringen machine lines, which both produce uncoated magazine paper, will be permanently closed during the first half of 2013. Closing the two machines will remove around 420,000 metric tons per year from the market.

UPM says its plan to sell its Docelles mill in France will start immediately and is expected to be complete within six months. Docelles produces around 160,000 metric tons of uncoated woodfree papers per year.

“The target of the planned actions is to ensure the efficient use of UPM’s remaining capacity,” says Jyrki Ovaska, president of the UPM Paper Business Group. “The paper machines targeted for closure are either at the end of their technical age, have limited product flexibility or poor profitability. The situation is very regrettable for the personnel. However, in the overcapacity situation we need to adjust our capacity to the level of profitable customer demand.”