New extrusion line completed at AWS ECO Plastics Ltd

AWS Eco Plastics announces that the second phase of its £14M capital investment programme has now been completed. The new processing line allows AWS for the first time to process hot wash PET flake and pellets. Until now AWS was only able to produce dry washed PET. Capacity at its Hemswell plant in Lincolnshire has now been increased to 80,000 tonnes annually.

AWS is already contracted to supply 13,000 tonnes of r-PET pellet to ARTENIUS Pet Packaging Europe (APPE) a subsidiary of La Sede De Barcelona, Europe’s leading pet packaging company. The recycled pellets will be used in the production of bottles for carbonated beverages. Due to the scale of the sort and hot wash process AWS will always have surplus hot wash PET flake for sale in to the thermoforming market and the company is currently discussing supply contracts with a number of interested parties.

According to Jonathan Short, CEO of AWS this latest capital development means AWS has the leading state of the art bottle recycling plant in Europe. Our goal has always been to process a material capable of being used in the food industry and this is an important mile stone for us. Quality is the key and whilst the bottle recycling industries’ customer base has been disappointed with the quality available so far, we are confident the QC processes we have in place will ensure we meet our customers’ expectations. Another first for AWS is the substantial capital spend that has been made on a closed loop water processing system capable of recycling up to 15cu.m/hr of water back to a fresh state to be reused in the process. As Jonathan Short said "when we commissioned this new line we were always mindful of the need to minimise the use of natural resources. This is the first plant of its kind to be used in a plastic bottle processing facility."

contact: www: www.awsecoplastics.com