Quality and safety with a high recyclate content

The IBCs and plastic drums of the Schütz Green Layer series are ideally suited as eco-friendly packaging for numerous applications. Customers benefit from a high recycled content, a low weight, and maximum safety. (Photo: Schütz)

The environment and the filling product in Schütz's Green Layer series continue to come into direct contact only with virgin material. The recyclate is used exclusively in the middle layer of the three-layer inner bottle. (Photo: Schütz)

With the Green Layer product range, Schütz increases the recycled content in the plastic by also using high-quality recycled material for the production of the inner containers. (Photo: Schütz)

With active resource conservation, the packaging of the Green Layer series convinces with the highest quality. One example is the ECOBULK MX GREEN LAYER with a full plastic pallet and a recycled plastic content of 68%. (Photo: Schütz)

Only if emptied packaging is returned by the user will there be sufficient quantities available for plastic recycling to supply customers with new recycled packaging. Schütz established the necessary infrastructure many years ago with the Schütz Ticket Service for worldwide collection and reconditioning of emptied containers. (Photo: Schütz)

Saving CO2 is becoming increasingly important in the packaging industry. With the European Green Deal and the Action Plan for the Circular Economy, the European Union has defined the future framework conditions for resource-saving economic growth. One central measure is the use of plastic recyclate in packaging. Schütz is one of the pioneers in this field. The technology leader is constantly increasing the recycled content of its packaging by using state-of-the-art, multi-layer extrusion and continually developing its recycling processes.

The Green Layer series is the latest development in Schütz’s Green Lifecycle Management. With this programme, the packaging specialist supports customers in meeting their sustainability goals and further reducing the overall CO2 footprint of their packaging. The aim is to ensure the broadest possible and most cost-effective supply of eco-friendly packaging. Ultimately, sourcing the volume of recyclate required for this is a task for all partners along the supply chain. Only if users return emptied packaging to Schütz will the manufacturer have sufficient quantities available for plastic recovery and be able to supply customers with new recycled packaging. Schütz created the necessary infrastructure for this many years ago: with the Schütz Ticket Service, the company collects emptied industrial packaging worldwide and reconditions it according to the highest environmental and safety standards.

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.