[GreenYes] European 50 percent plastic recycled content incentive spurs investment

["Bill Sheehan" <zerowaste@no.address>]

Amcor triples capacity at French bottle-to-bottle site

By Richard Higgs
PLASTICS NEWS CORRESPONDENT

BEAUNE, FRANCE (Jan. 30, 10:55 a.m. EST) -- Bottle-to-
bottle recycling got a huge boost in Europe as the world´s top
PET packaging producer, Amcor Ltd., announced it has
completed an 18 million euro ($16.6 million) expansion of its
PET bottle recycling capacity. Prompted by the gathering pace
of environmental legislation in Europe, the company upgraded
and more than tripled capacity at its recycling plant in Beaune.

".... The recycled PET picture is changing, with a limited market
now for fiber. Today the biggest end-use for post-consumer
PET is in new beverage bottles, said Bruno Vincent, general
manager of Amcor PET Recycling France SA.

"Given these circumstances, and the fact that recycled PET
production is expected to increase by 30 percent ... it is simple,
environmentally sound logic that recycled PET becomes part of
the PET supply for beverage bottle production," he said.

Vincent also cited new legislation like the Eco-Tax due to come
into force in Belgium. Manufacturers that use 50 percent
recycled content will be exempt from the tax.

Amcor's other bottle-to-bottle recycling plant is in Novi, Mich.
The company has 51 facilities operating in 20 countries."

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