When a long-standing, multi-national customer approached us, they wanted to explore how they could recycle the large volumes of polythene packaging coming into their sites from multiple suppliers. While they were already recycling cardboard, their polythene was going to landfill. Their ambition? A closed-loop recycling system that would capture both incoming supplier packaging and their own polythene waste.

We took a collaborative approach from the very beginning. Key stakeholders were invited to visit our extrusion site, where they could see firsthand how polythene is manufactured and watch a recycling machine in action. This helped to build a clear understanding of what was possible and to align all parties on the potential for a practical, cost-neutral solution.

From there, one of our Stevenage Packaging team members carried out a detailed review across every customer site, looking at all polythene products used or received. This allowed us to create a comprehensive list of items eligible for recycling, which was supported by a clear baler processing document issued to all locations.