In September 2013, ACE officially opened the UK and Ireland’s only dedicated beverage carton recycling facility in Stainland, near Halifax, West Yorkshire, in partnership with paper and packaging producer, Sonoco Alcore. The plant can provide a recycling solution for beverage cartons sourced through mixed dry recycling kerbside collection in Ireland.
Sonoco Alcore uses the strong high-quality virgin wood fibres found in cartons to make industrial strength coreboard at its paper mill located on the same site. This is then made into tubes and cores, around which paper, man-made fibre yarns, and metal and plastic film for industrial applications are wrapped. All used beverage cartons received by ACE are recycled at the facility.
Three benefits of our dedicated beverage carton recycling facility are:
- A clearly-defined end destination for used beverage cartons.
- A stable price per tonne for cartons delivered – a better, more sustainable option compared to the price fluctuations on the global commodities market.
- A reduction in road and rail miles travelled by used beverage cartons for them to be recycled. Recycling cartons at the UK facility will lead to a significant reduction of transport-related CO2.
How are beverage cartons recycled at our plant?
When baled used beverage cartons arrive at the facility, they are dropped into a pulper, like a giant domestic food mixer, filled with water and pulped for around 20 minutes. This delaminates the packaging and breaks it down to produce a slurry. The aluminium foil and polyethylene liners can then be separated from the fibre for further processing in a new dedicated facility opening in Q2 2020. The polymer granules can be reused for a range of injection-moulded products, such as for the automotive and electrical industries, and aluminium granules for manufacturing new aluminium products.
All of the materials used in the manufacture of beverage cartons are recyclable at end of life, helping to reduce the use of virgin materials and cut carbon emissions. The high-quality wood fibres in cartons are long and strong, and can be recycled up to six times, making them a valuable raw material for new paper and board products. Check out the video below produced by our colleagues in ACE UK on how the facility works:
