The environmental performance of HDPE is significantly improved through its ability to be recycled back into a food grade polymer.  In 2008, 57% of HDPE milk bottles consumed and collected in the UK were recycled (source: Recoup), demonstrating a clear opportunity to improve this performance.

Nampak Plastics has contracts in place for the supply of up to 6,000 tonnes of recycled HDPE (rHDPE) annually from Closed Loop London, 6,000 tonnes from Greenstar (WES) and 12,000 tonnes from AWS, as well as investing in further recycling facilities to boost supply. This rHDPE has enabled Nampak to produce milk bottles with up to 10% recycled content during 2009, with a target of increasing this to up to 30% by 2015.

More information on recycled content HDPE can be found at www.bottle2bottle.com.