Petcore Europe, the Brussels based association representing the entire PET (PolyEthylene Terephthalate) value chain in Europe, increases its competence by welcoming twelve new members in 2019.
The new members are Bandera, IFPEN – French Institute of Petroleum Energies nouvelles, Point Plastic, AFA Dispensing, Remondis PET Recycling, CUMAPOL, RETAL Industries, PepsiCo, Mitsubishi Polyester Films, Suntory, Digimarc and Finat.
“In the past 15 months Petcore Europe could welcome 29 new members. It is great to see that more and more key players of the value chain want to work together on a circular economy of PET within our association”, outlines Christian Crépet, Executive Director of Petcore Europe.
Investment in advanced CAD software means RETAL can create precise bottle simulations without incurring the cost or time of prototyping.
PET and rPET packaging producer RETAL is dedicated to delivering responsible solutions to its global beverage customers, so this latest development supports its focus on creating lighter, stronger bottles that meet the precise performance and sustainability goals of brand owners.
Designer Andzejus Buinovskis explains, “We searched the market for a dedicated software suite that would allow us to simulate the stretch blow moulding process, but we couldn't find what we wanted, so we worked with Dassault Systemes to add several plug ins to its ABAQUS software product that provided the exact 3D modelling and types of parameters we require.”
The bespoke simulation software now in operation at RETAL's dedicated R&D Centre means that it is able to create precise information regarding performance relating to the distribution of the thickness and stretch ratio of the bottles without needing to produce a physical product. Buinovskis adds, “With the 3D model of the preform and bottle, we can simulate different temperatures, movements, pressures and pre-blow and blow variations. It's a powerful tool that saves the considerable time and money associated with prototyping; in one case, two bottles of the same weight but different geometry showed that one had a better stretch ratio, making it stronger.”
Comparing bottles of the same weight with different geometry, it is possible to choose the most durable bottle in terms of stretch ratio. This means that physical tests can be conducted for the most optimal model, avoiding the cost of testing all intermediate versions.
Investing in this complex software makes it faster, cheaper and easier for its global brand customers to choose the precise bottle for their food and beverage applications.
Renewable energy was celebrated at the official opening of the largest roof-mounted solar powered plant in the Baltic States at global plastic packaging manufacturer RETAL's Lentvaris factory.
Attended by many of Lithuania's leading business people interested in green energy, the event, called “Solar Energy and Lithuanian Business: Good Practices and Challenges”, was held on Thursday 7th February. Installed by contractors I + D Energias Lietuva in autumn 2018, the power plant will reduce RETAL’s CO2 emissions by 733.6 tonnes per year.
Giedrius Viederis, Director of RETAL Lithuania, opened the event, where he explained that this huge project was driven by the obligation to both conserve the environment and consume clean energy. Thanking the partners and representatives of the LPA for financing the project, he said, “Today, RETAL is also taking a step forward. The solemn opening of the largest roof-top solar power plant in the Baltic States is the result of a three-year project by many people to implement our idea.”
Guests included Marius Skuodis, Deputy Minister of Economy and Innovation of the Republic of Lithuania, Rytis Kėvelaitis, Adviser to the Minister of Energy of the Republic of Lithuania, representatives of the Lithuanian Business Support Agency (LPAA), Arnold Gaudiešius Ruta Jakubauskienė, Director of the Large Business Customer Department, and representatives from companies from across Lithuania interested in the use of renewable energy.
The event also included an interesting panel discussion where guests, Albertas Trakimavičius, Chief Energy Officer of RETAL Lithuania and Rūta Jakubauskienė, Executive Director of I + D Energias Lietuva, engaged in debate about issues related to the future of renewable energy in Lithuania and financing opportunities. Viederis adds, “It was wide-ranging discussion that presented excellent information on the possibility of state aid for enterprises, important details that businesses need to know before installing solar panels and facts about the most successful large-scale solar panel plants in Lithuania and across Europe.”
Guests were given a tour of the roof-mounted solar panel plant and had the opportunity to learn about the technology used and ask questions of the suppliers involved in this project. RETAL's solar panel roof stands out for its exceptional safety and the quality of the materials used for its installation - all the solar modules have been manufactured in the European Union, giving the plant a twenty-year warranty. The power of the power plant is 1.4 MW and the value of the project exceeds one million euros.
RETAL President Anatoly Martynov notes how this investment represents the company's ongoing commitment to sustainability across its operations. Martynov says: “The installation of solar panels at our facility in Lentvaris is a key part of RETAL’s significant investment in sustainability and shows the progressive approach of the whole region. This large-scale project demonstrates our ongoing commitment to environmental protection; we intend to be as efficient as possible in increasing the use of renewable energy across the RETAL global plants.”
Click here to view the actricle from comPETence online.
More news:
PETplanet. Retal celebrates solar powered facility.
PVtech. Largest PV rooftop installation in Baltic States opens in Lithuania.
The Ecologist. Renewable energy in Lithuania.
Energy Manager Today. Largest solar installation in Baltic States is now operational
PV Magazine. Baltic's largest PV rooftop inaugurated.
Solar Novus Today. The largest solar panel rooftop installation in the Baltic States.
Energy Live News. Lithuanian packaging producer unboxes 1.4 MW solar project
Sustainability. Innovation. Disruption. Words that get used freely. The time has come to prove what we say.
Across the packaging value chain, sustainability, innovation and disruption are all more necessary now than ever before...as long as there's transparency too. The bright light that is shining on the plastic packaging industry is not always flattering; it shows up our imperfections. But with transparency, that bright light is a good thing. For us to be as honest and progressive as possible, to create and support a plastic packaging industry that is fit for purpose from both a consumer and an environmental perspective, transparency has to be at the heart of everything we do.
Emmanuel Duffaut, Sustainability Director at global plastic packaging manufacturer RETAL, is vocal about the need for transparency across the packaging value chain. Duffaut says, “Climate change and the circular economy are the two main sustainability drivers for our industry; action has to be proactive, productive and provable. I'm determined that every CSR action must be quantifiable and realistic.”
The discrepancy between what consumers think about plastic packaging and what is actually true is huge. For example, a commonly-held belief is that plastic bottles can only be recycled once, when actually they can happily be recycled 7-9 times before quality is compromised for food-grade applications, and many more times for non-food packaging. And an organic cotton shopping bag would need to be reused thousands of times to match a plastic shopping bag for water, energy and additive consumption in production. Yet consumers think that choosing cotton shopping bags over plastic bags is the sustainable option...but how many cotton totes do you actually own?
Duffaut continues, “Transparency isn't about the feel-good factor; it's about the truth. For climate change, we need to talk about renewable energy and production. Last year, RETAL installed the largest solar panel plant on the roof of its Lithuanian facility – it's the biggest photovoltaic installation in the Baltic States and will generate 1.4 megawatts of power per year. The factories in the US, Lithuania and Czech Republic buy 100 per cent renewable electricity. Management systems are key too, plastic packaging manufacturers must be able to prove responsibility of performance, such as with the ISO 50001 certification and energy monitoring systems we have across RETAL plants.”
In terms of the plastic packaging itself, manufacturers are also capable of transparency, literally and figuratively. The incredible capabilities of rPET are currently limited by effective and efficient collection, yet the potential for consumer education is great. Duffaut adds, “Reliable supply of rPET – reliable in quality and quantity for food applications - is crucial to a realistic circular economy. RETAL produces a 100 per cent rPET bottle for Nestlé Pure Life mineral water in the US, where our dedicated R&D team worked with Nestlé Waters to create a totally transparent rPET that delivers the glass-like look that consumers want, thanks to our deep knowledge of additives and equipment fine-tuning; none of that slightly grey rPET here! We have an incredible knowhow of working with up to 75 per cent rPET flakes and the specific additives required.”
RETAL has recently joined PETcore, the responsible voice of the European PET value chain, with Duffaut active in the non-profit's working groups that is focused on the long-term stability of the PET industry. He concludes, “By creating responsible plastic packaging that has a lighter impact - including light-weighting of the preform and the closure, highly efficient energy management across production and smart use of renewable energy - we are determined to be part of the solution."
Click here to view the article.
We are pleased to announce that RETAL has joined PETCore Europe, the non-profit European trade organisation that is the voice of the PET value chain. With a clear focus to promote the collection, sorting and recycling of PET packaging across Europe, PETCore works closely with the EU administration, EU and national sector associations, Governments and the plastic recycling industry.
Becoming a member of PETCore highlights RETAL's ongoing dedication to working collaboratively with the whole PET value chain, with a focus on sustainability and the circular economy.
RETAL's Sustainability Director Emmanuel Duffaut participated in PETCore's Annual General Assembly and Technical Committee in Brussels on 5th - 6th February, giving him the opportunity to discuss the issues facing the PET industry with key players across the value chain.
Duffaut says, “I'm very enthusiastic about RETAL joining PETCore Europe as it allows drivers from the PET industry to interact in a non-competitive way; to listen and to learn from each other, to gain great insights from multi-stakeholder perspectives on the different challenges we face and to develop strategies to overcome these challenges. Most importantly, this established platform lets us focus on the effective foundations of the circular economy: by participating in global fact-finding, we can continue to develop essential knowledge that translates into clear actions. Global knowledge of the circular economy is crucial for us all connected to the PET value chain. RETAL is committed to continuing our active role in this process and we look forward to working with PETCore and its members.”
Renewable energy was celebrated at the official opening of the largest roof-mounted solar powered plant in the Baltic States at global plastic packaging manufacturer RETAL's Lentvaris factory.
Attended by many of Lithuania's leading green energy business people, the event, called “Solar Energy and Lithuanian Business: Good Practices and Challenges”, was held on Thursday 7th February. Installed by contractors I + D Energias Lietuva in autumn 2018, the power plant will reduce CO2 emissions by 733.6 tonnes per year.
Giedrius Viederis, General Manager of Retal Lithuania, opened the event, where he explained that this huge project was driven by the obligation to both conserve the environment and consume clean energy for the sake of future generations. Thanking the partners and representatives of the LVPA for financing the project, he said, “Today, Retal is also taking a step forward. The solemn opening of the largest roof-top solar power plant in the Baltic States is the result of a three-year project by many people to implement our idea.”
Guests included Marius Skuodis, Deputy Minister of Economy and Innovation of the Republic of Lithuania, Rytis Kėvelaitis, Adviser to the Minister of Energy of the Republic of Lithuania, representatives of the Lithuanian Business Support Agency (LVPA), Arnoldas Gaudiešius, Director of Large Business Clients Department and representatives from companies from across Lithuania interested in the use of renewable energy.
The event also included an interesting panel discussion where guests, Albertas Trakimavičius, Chief Energy Officer of Retal Lithuania and Rūta Jakubauskienė, Executive Director of I + D Energias Lietuva, engaged in debate about issues related to the future of renewable energy in Lithuania and financing opportunities. Viederis adds, “It was wide-ranging discussion that presented excellent information on the possibility of state aid for enterprises, important details that businesses need to know before installing solar panels and facts about the most successful large-scale solar panel plants in Lithuania and across Europe.”
Guests were given a tour of the roof-mounted solar panel plant and had the opportunity to learn about the technology used and ask questions of the suppliers involved in this project. RETAL's solar panel roof stands out for its exceptional safety and the quality of the materials used for its installation - all the solar modules have been manufactured in the European Union, giving the plant a twenty-year warranty. The power of the power plant is 1.4 MW and the value of the project exceeds one million euros.
RETAL President Anatoly Martynov notes how this investment represents the company's ongoing commitment to sustainability across its operations. Martynov says: “The installation of solar panels at our facility in Lentvaris is a key part of RETAL’s significant investment in sustainability and shows the progressive approach of the whole region. This large-scale project demonstrates our ongoing commitment to environmental protection; we intend to be as efficient as possible in increasing the use of renewable energy across the RETAL plants.”
Follow us on LinkedIn
Leading global packaging manufacturer Retal develops and produces a range of closures as part of its varied portfolio, alongside preforms, containers and films. Offering PET and, increasingly, rPET, Retal provides standard and bespoke solutions to its large roster of global food and beverage brand customers. Read more
Among the products that packaging manufacturer Retal exhibited on its stand at Brau Beviale 2018 was its new High Grip closure. This system, which was presented for the first time at the trade fair, features a taller overall design and continuous slats, which are intended to provide an optimised, non-slip opening and closing of beverage bottles. The closure height is at the same level as the classic PCO1810 closures and also fits PCO1881 bottle necks, but only at a weight of 2.45g. Read more
Co-packers can now reuse existing stacking trays designed for standard 1810 specifications thanks to RETAL's High Grip closure solution – with over 20million units already sold.
High Grip helps customers reduce the plastic in their beverage packaging as it's the same height as a standard closure, at 19.85mm, but just 2.45g, saving around 1.3g of weight per bottle, thanks to its deeper grooves that distribute the weight across the taller lid.
Using less plastic but still maintaining excellent rigidity due to the height, the RETAL High Grip is also ideal for older people or those with reduced mobility in their hands as it's easy to hold and use – helping beverage brands to meet their CSR targets while keeping consumers happy.
RETAL worked closely with a market-leading bottle filling company to create this functional solution that delivers high market acceptance thanks to its consumer-friendly attributes such as being easy to open and grip.
Follow us on LinkedIn
[:en]
Global packaging manufacturer RETAL's USA facility is its latest to gain the recognised food safety certificate FSSC22000.
Joining many of the RETAL plastic packaging and food-safe films production sites across Europe, RETAL PA is now approved as a certified supplier of PET preforms for food and beverage applications.
Admir Dobraca, general manager of RETAL PA, says, “The FSSC22000 is a strict and proven compliance system that confirms RETAL PA meets the highest norms of the food industry. It gives our customers and suppliers confidence that we have full competence in delivering food and beverage safe packaging from our facility here in Pennsylvania, joining the majority of our other RETAL facilities that serve the leading global beverage brands. The certification demonstrates that we follow a quality-conscious production process, guaranteed that no foreign material contaminates the PET throughout the manufacture of the preform at RETAL.”
Based on ISO Standards, the FSSC22000 is accepted by the Global Food Safety Initiative and defined as 'providing a framework for effectively managing your organisation's food safety responsibilities and demonstrates your company has a robust Food Safety Management System in place that meets the requirements of your customers and consumers'.
Follow us on LinkedIn