Further development of production technology and material recycling
Schütz has always focused on achieving maximum environmental friendliness in the entire life cycle of its packaging. The manufacturer achieves this with smart product design, advanced production processes, long-lasting product quality and closed material cycles. Schütz continuously invests in state-of-the-art production technology as well as in research and development. For example, the company has consistently reduced the weight of its packaging in recent years and has refined the material recycling processes so that even heavily contaminated material can now be reconditioned with the help of special process technology and expertise. Schütz can recycle HDPE in different grades depending on the desired application; the recycled HDPE is used to produce packaging and components.
The forerunner of the circular economy in industrial packaging underscores its pioneering role with the Green Layer product series. As the leading manufacturer, Schütz uses 3- or 6-layer extrusion blow moulding lines in its factories across Europe. This allows the company to use 30 per cent high-quality, natural-coloured recycled material to produce inner bottles. What makes this process special is that the recyclate is used exclusively to make the middle layer of the inner bottle. Schütz uses new HDPE to make the inner and outer layers, meaning that the filling product and environment only come into direct contact with virgin material. This design means that users save virgin plastic as well as CO2 and at the same time make an important contribution to achieving the goals of the European Green Deal.
The quality of the Green Layer packaging is identical to Schütz’s other product ranges. Whether IBC or plastic drums – Green Layer products are ideally suited as eco-friendly packaging for numerous applications. With this product range, customers benefit from a high content of recycled material, low weight and maximum safety. The majority of the containers, and especially Schütz plastic drums, have UN approvals. The new Green Layer series will initially be launched in the European markets. After a successful start, we will gradually roll out this environmentally friendly packaging in other regions.