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Sustainability

The plastic packaging sector faces its biggest ever challenge - convincing a sceptical public and the mainstream media that its products are the most effective packaging for the future.


We've been working towards sustainability for many years and are proud of what we do.

Our Mission...

Our Mission...

Our Track Record

We led the way in the use of rPET materials, which today contain up to 90% recycled material

In 2019 we became one of the first packaging companies in the UK to manufacture and sell products made from BreakdownPET - a biodegradable and fully recyclable plastic material that is designed to quickly, naturally and safely decompose in landfill.

In 2020 we achieved a landmark goal – recycling all plastic waste created during the manufacturing process at our National Road factory in Leeds, West Yorkshire.

Our View

There's no escaping the fact that the images first broadcast on David Attenborough's Blue Planet in 2018 were horrific; and a damning indictment on the way that plastic waste is disposed of around the world.

What has followed has been at best imbalanced, and at worst - a greenwash.

Plastic packaging does not grow legs and walk into the oceans of the world on its own.

The reason why plastic waste ends up where it does is because people dump it there. And all the different companies and Governments promising reductions, even bans, on the use of different plastic products, isn't going to stop that any time soon

Our Aim

What is needed is for all parties to work together to highlight, where appropriate, plastic's benefit; find suitable alternatives when it's not; and for Governments to incentivise waste management companies to recycle all plastics as opposed to trading only in the currently very select crop of high value ones.

A joined up global approach towards plastic packaging and recycling is the only way to turn the tide on plastic pollution.

 

 

LVF Packaging's Solar Investment

We recently took our investment in renewable energy over £300k by installing 670 new solar panels at our headquarters in Leeds.
This drone footage of the installation, which generates close to 300,000 kw of energy at peak times and 185MWh per annum, was shot recently and looks spectacular.

FAKE PLASTIC NEWS

The plastic packaging sector faces its biggest ever challenge - convincing a disbelieving public that its products are the most effective packaging for the future, as opposed to the planet destroying, toxic threat they are currently portrayed as.

Nigel Coates in the Yorkshire Post
FAKE PLASTIC NEWS

THE MAGIC rPET

Packaging may not appear magical, but in a world where technology seems to change by the day, the fact that the most commonly used thermoformed packaging material has remained virtually constant for 25 years is a trick not many industries can match.

Nigel Coates in Confectionery Production
THE MAGIC rPET

100% RECYCLING TARGET MET

We recycle all plastic waste created during the manufacturing process at our National Road factory in Leeds.

Read the full story in Plastics in Packaging
100% RECYCLING TARGET MET

GETTING THEIR POUND OF PLASTIC

Plastic-waste has long been public enemy number one, but rather than rallying to find a collective solution, many big businesses seem more concerned about jumping on the greenwash bandwagon.

Read the full story in Packaging Scotland
GETTING THEIR POUND OF PLASTIC

PLASTIC FANTASTIC

Three years ago, our MD Nigel Coates put his head above the parapet and wrote an impassioned piece for the Yorkshire Post about why banning plastic packaging would be nothing more than a knee jerk reaction with a negative effect. 

With the plastic pollution crisis still on-going and no solution to the pollution in sight he's put pen to paper again.

NIGEL COATES IN THE YORKSHIRE POST (again!)
PLASTIC FANTASTIC

Plastic Packaging, But Not As You Know It

BREAKDOWN PET EXPLAINED 

When talking about biodegradable plastics, it’s important to understand the definition of the biodegradation process. By definition, plastics that fragment or degrade through chemical reactions, ultraviolet radiation and / or mechanical processes are not biodegradable. They are simply degradable and in most cases leave toxins; heavy metals like cadmium, nickel and cobalt; and residues of the polymer in the environment.

Plastics are hydrocarbons that come from crude oil and are 100 per cent biodegradable thanks to oleo-physeal bacteria. However, in the process of distillation its original organic nutrients are burned. Additionally, manufactured plastic products are designed to be durable. All of which explains why traditional plastics take thousands of years for the microbes in them to decompose.

The organic additives used in Breakdown PET accelerate the biodegradation of treated plastics in microbe-rich environments. The material uses organic, carbon based ingredients that enable polymers to biodegrade like organic matter. Products made from Breakdown PET have an unlimited shelf-life and are completely non-toxic.

Breakdown PET actually attracts microbes to the product, where they colonise on its surface, and secrete acids that break down the polymer chain. Once the polymer chain is opened the microbes utilise the carbon backbone as a source of food and energy, and biodegradation occurs at the atomic level.

The difference between Breakdown PET and traditional plastic is that Breakdown PET creates an opportunity for microbes to utilise plastic as food and energy, which accelerates biodegradation. The end result of biodegraded Breakdown PET is the same as that of any biodegraded organic matter – humus, CO2 and CH4 that can be captured to produce clean, cheap energy.

 

Breakdown PET FAQs

Does Breakdown PET contain microbes?
Does microbial digestion consume the entire polymer chain or just the Breakdown PET additive?
Does Breakdown PET biodegrade when littered?
What happens if a Breakdown PET product is thrown into a lake or the ocean? Have you tested this?
Can Breakdown PET be used with barriers?
Are products made with Breakdown PET compostable, biodegradable and recyclable? Isn't compostable the best option?
Why is Breakdown PET the best solution for "green" plastic initiatives?
Can customers use "regrind" containing Breakdown PET?
Does Breakdown PET impart any taste or smell? Is there any leaching associated with the product?
What is the difference between biodegradable and compostable plastics?
What is the difference between Breakdown PET and Oxo-Degradable plastic?
Does Breakdown PET break down into particles that toxify ground and water?
Do traditional plastics biodegrade?
How does Breakdown PET have accelerated biodegradation over traditional plastics?
How long does it take for Breakdown PET to biodegrade?
What prevents Breakdown PET from degrading while in storage or on the shelf?
Will active microbes in food (meat, cheese, etc.) start the biodegradation process in storage?
How long does it take for Breakdown PET products to biodegrade?
What tests validate biodegradation of Breakdown PET products in landfills?
Can Breakdown PET be used for food and drink contact applications? Is it FDA compliant?
Will Breakdown PET comply with the European standard EN13432?
Are Breakdown PET products recyclable?
What recyclability tests have been performed on Breakdown PET products?
Is Breakdown PET harmful to the environment or people? Are there cancer-causing compounds?
What makes up the leftover biomass after Breakdown PET biodegrades?
What kind of bacteria feed off of the additive in Breakdown PET?
What are the benefits of depositing Breakdown PET in a landfill?
What is Breakdown PET additive made of?
When plastic breaks down, it emits methane, which is a greenhouse gas. Does Breakdown PET emit methane when it biodegrades? What happens to the methane?

The LVF Blog