Coveris has upgraded its de-inking and recycling facility, ReCover, with the installation of a new water treatment system. This development is set to improve both environmental and operational performance.
Aligned with Coveris’ No Waste sustainability strategy and its ReCover mission to keep plastic circular, the recycling facility in Louth, Lincolnshire (UK), employs innovative de-inking technology to transform printed polyethylene (PE) residual waste into high-quality recyclate, known as ReGen.
Water plays an essential role in the de-inking process, and the new treatment plant, supported by an onsite ReCover Lab, achieves greater control over water quality for improved recycling and repelletisation. This advancement leads to cleaner, more consistent, and higher quality ReGen pellets, with significant sustainability and operational benefits for the ReCover Louth plant.
The new ClearFox treatment plant was developed exclusively for the facility through a collaboration with PPU Environmental Technology GMBH and UK Extrusion Ltd. The water treatment follows a three-stage process: pH correction, coagulation, and flocculation, to remove waste material, and supports optimisation of the de-inking process by enabling onsite treatment, improved automation, and more efficient chemical usage.
Significant reduction in water consumption and transport emissions
The environmental benefits of the new treatment plant are notable, reducing overall water consumption while increasing the volume recycled by 35% versus the previous water treatment installation. The volume of water transported offsite for treatment has been reduced by 70% since the opening of the ReCover Louth recycling facility, dramatically cutting transport emissions. As part of stringent water quality controls, technicians in the ReCover Lab conduct onsite testing, which is further validated by external bodies, with the aim of achieving full ‘discharge to drain’ by Q1 2025, pending approval by the local water authority.
Closing the plastic loop
The ReCover Louth facility is key to supporting Coveris' sustainability strategy as it processes packaging waste from the group’s own manufacturing operations, its customers, and the wider industry. The waste feedstock is de-inked, recycled, and repelletised into ReGen, and used as UK Plastic Packaging Tax-compliant recycled content in Coveris’ sustainable packaging solutions. By removing ink during recycling, ReCover enables materials that were once downcycled to remain in the packaging supply chain as part of a circular lifecycle.
Mark Dalby, ReCover UK Managing Director, commented: "When we first launched the ReCover de-inking facility, Coveris set a new standard for recycling innovation in the packaging industry and developed a unique integrated set-up for high-quality recycled content in packaging films in the UK and beyond. This upgraded water treatment plant builds upon that foundation, helping us further optimise our processes while enhancing sustainability.
“By treating more water onsite, we’re not only increasing efficiency but also reducing our environmental footprint while improving the quality and consistency of our ReGen recycled resin. No Waste is at the heart of Coveris’ operations and packaging sustainability strategy; this new addition to the ReCover Louth plant is another step forward enhancing our environmental performance”, added Dalby.
In recognition of Coveris’ commitment to sustainability, ReCover Louth, opened in May 2023, received the top award for 'Environmentally Sustainable Company – Production' at the FlexoTech Awards in October 2024. Coveris' ReCover also won the Green Packaging Star Award 2024 in the 'Environmentally Friendly Production Process' category, presented by Kompack and the Austrian Research Institute for Chemistry.