Enval to begin trial run for recycling laminate packaging into aluminium

Enval set to start trial runs for the pioneering technology for recycling flexible aluminium laminate packaging to assess the feasibility of the process.

Defra (Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will be funding the trial that will cover 260 households for nine months starting 16 February across various locations in the country. Collection will be conducted by SUEZ environment along with the initial sorting while Enval will carry out the recycling task in their commercial demonstration facility at the Alconbury Enterprise Zone, near Huntingdon.

Dr Carlos Ludlow-Palafox, Managing Director, Enval, said: "These trials are providing an important opportunity to prove that we can successfully capture and recycle the valuable aluminium, as well as recover the plastics as a fuel oil product. This will present a solid business case for Enval's microwave induced pyrolysis technology to be bolted on to existing materials facilities and help increase levels of recycling across the UK."

Since laminate packaging is adopted by so many companies, especially in the FMCG sectors, it is a viable source to obtain aluminium through recycling. UK alone uses more than 160,000 tons of flexible laminate each year containing more than 17,000 tons of aluminium.

To see previous news coverage on the topic, click here .