LEEWAYS PACKAGING SERVICES LTD.

VISCONEWS ISSUE #16 · Dec 2021

The British, family-owned company Leeways and Starlinger viscotec are convinced: PET is the long-term sustainable material for the circular economy model. Recycled PET (rPET) is even more important in light of the UK’s upcoming Plastic Packaging Tax. With the installation of a viscoSHEET rPET extrusion line and decontamination unit, Leeways Packaging Services Ltd invested in state-of-the-art equipment for the production of food grade recycled PET sheet.

Minimal environmental impact: All materials are 100% recyclable and electricity is 100% renewable.

“We have a focus on the development of materials we can offer our customers which offer greater levels of recycled content and improve the recycling infrastructure, as well as ensuring our products are exempt from impending plastics taxes”, states Lee Walding, Managing Director at Leeways.

In the United Kingdom, packaging manufacturers will be charged 200 GBP per metric tonne of packaging that contains less than 30% of recycled plastic. The new legislation becomes effective from April 2022, intending to reduce the use of new plastics and increase plastic recycling.

Leeways Packaging Services Ltd. offers innovative, sustainable packing solutions to the food and medical market sectors. The company’s focus is on designing and manufacturing sustainable packaging – demonstrated through its investment in a 100% post-consumer waste extrusion line and a ground mounted solar farm adjacent to its facilities.

In 2020 they established Kalex Films Ltd, a subsidiary of the Leeways Group. A deCON 50 boosts the sheet quality in regards to food safety, optical appearance, and mechanical properties to a high level, and the viscoSHEET provides extruded PET sheet to support Leeways’ thermoforming operations.

“We chose Starlinger viscotec as our partner because their equipment enables us to process from 100% recycled material and gives us flexibility of raw material inputs. In addition, viscotec grants high levels of support and training for us as a newcomer to extrusion,” explains Lee Walding.

Leeways’ mission is to be the most sustainable thermoforming company in the UK. “Using reasonable endeavours, we aim to use rPET, with a minimum of 50% post-consumer waste”, asserts Walding. “We make sure the carbon footprint left from our operations is as minimal as possible whilst playing a key role in helping our customer achieve their environmental and sustainability objectives.”