Liquibox partners with Replas to recycle production waste

Liquibox’s bag-in-box flexible packaging production facility in Auckland, New Zealand, takes action to tackle climate change, proving their commitment to create a more sustainable future just a month after the release of the company’s first ever Sustainability Report. Through a new partnership, they will be able to divert 50,000 kilograms of plastic from the landfill each year.

In their Sustainability Report, Liquibox outlined their roadmap to minimize their environmental footprint, focusing on their products, operations, and people. One of their goals is to cut production waste in half by 2025.

Their Auckland site was quick to get started and reduce the amount of waste that was produced. However, they were faced with the challenge of recycling the excess material after legislative changes in New Zealand limited their disposal options. After investigating viable plastic recycling options, they decided to partner with Replas, a mixed recycled plastic manufacturer based in the Australasia region.

Through the partnership with Replas, the company’s polyethylene waste will be made into new products such as fencing posts and shipping container slip sheets. Replas Managing Director, Harry Burkhardt is encouraged by the program, he stated “Replas and Liquibox have developed a relationship that goes beyond the current borders of commercial transactions. Being an active shaper of the future of New Zealand is where we all need to be.”

The Auckland team is dedicated to achieving success with this program, which requires additional sorting on the production floor. Utilizing their deeply embedded problem-solving skills, they came up with a system to educate and remind staff how, and where, various materials should be recycled. Once it is sorted, the waste can be compacted into bales and sent to Replas to be transformed into a new valuable product.

In less than a year, the site has already recycled over 40,000 kilograms of plastic with Replas. “Our PE recycling journey is a great example of our team making meaningful change happen. As well as significantly reducing waste to landfill, it has also helped to grow relationships between staff, as everyone has an opportunity to give ideas and feedback on how things can be improved, then we work together to implement the changes. There is still room for improvement, but overall, the feedback has been positive,” says Chris Tavelia, Liquibox Quality & Production Coordinator.

Liquibox sites across the globe are eager to drive initiatives like this one and work toward achieving their 2025 goals.

To download their recent sustainability report, visit www.Liquibox.com/sustainability