FAQs

Plastic is heated from ambient temperature up to its forming temp (around 110 degrees). It is then transported into an aluminium mould where a combination of pressurised air and a vacuum draw the material down onto the mould.

The mould is chilled and once the formed material is cooled down it retains the mould shape. It is then trimmed out, stacked, packaged and shipped to the customer.

In terms of cost, speed, recyclability, food safety and food wastage, yes, we believe they are.

We take great care ensuring that the materials we select enable all of the packaging we produce to be recycled after it has been used.

We use only derivatives of PET in the production of our packaging as it is widely accepted as being the most versatile material, as well as being the polymer most likely to be recycled after use.

Mono PET as the name suggests is PET with nothing added and is widely used in the production of packaging in all market sectors.

We can also manufacture in rPET/PE and ECOPET / ECOPET/PE materials but we are seeing now, due to packaging waste regulations, that more and more customers are switching to Mono rPET - something we have been championing for a long time.

Despite all the bad publicity, you can’t escape the fact that plastic is a wonderfully versatile material that can often be made with a high recycled content and can and should be recycled. It is what we do with items of plastic packaging after they have been used that causes the problems.

There are lots of alternatives to plastic packaging such as paper pulp, thermoformable card and fabricated card, but each has its own shortcomings in terms of; sustainability, how much energy is used in their production, how well they protect and maintain the freshness of the product; and how likely they are themselves to be recycled.

rPET is quite simply a name used to describe PET containing more than a certain amount of recycled material. 

Given the recent implementation of the UK Plastic Packaging Tax, which requires material to contain a minimum of 30%, it seems sensible to use that as the benchmark.

Read our thought leadership article about the Magic rPET

All of the plastic waste created during our manufacturing process is carefully collected and returned to our material suppliers to be reprocessed into sheet for further production of packaging.

Even the polythene wrapping used to protect the rolls of material prior to processing is now recycled thanks to our arrangement with Leeds-based Duclo Recycling.  

Our managing director, Nigel Coates said: “The lack of a local recycling outlet for polythene waste was a real thorn in the side of our aim to recycle 100 per cent of all waste generated during and after manufacture.”

“Teaming up with Duclo has allowed us to achieve a level of recyclability that few would even consider a plastic packaging manufacturer could come close to achieving.”

Read how we hit our 100% plastic waste recycling target

Recycle, recycle, recycle.

We’ve been banging the drum about why plastic is the best possible material for packaging for a long time. The issue, as the quote suggested, is not the plastic, it’s the disposal of it.

We need a grown-up and joined-up approach to recycling that creates a close-loop plastic recycling economy. It already works well with bottles, which are manufactured as standard from 100% mono PET, and there’s no reason why this success can’t be replicated across other packaging products.

Read our MD, Nigel Coates' latest opinion piece on plastic pollution in The Yorkshire Post here

We strongly believe that there is indeed a bright future for plastic packaging and that optimism will only increase as the recycling infrastructure improves.

We have invested heavily in Zero Carbon solar energy, but we will always be at the mercy of the National Grid.

We have invested heavily in renewable energy production and storage facilities, which has helped us reduced our energy costs and be more competitive as a direct result of these savings.

The main changes have been increased demand for recyclability and the use of recycled content, combined with as large a reduction in material usage as possible.

The demand for increasing recyclability and the use of recycled content will continue to grow, alongside a greater focus on reducing costs.

We provide a level of service and speed of decision making that the big packaging companies simply can't.

Our names are above the door - the best sign of all that it really matters to us.

Working with a family business means you get to speak to people who can move and make decisions quickly. Nobody ever has to wait until the next management meeting for an answer.

Our level of service and quality, and our ability to turn things around quicker than anyone else can.