UK – Coveris is investing £5 million (US$6.7 million) in its St Neots facility to increase production of recyclable food-to-go packaging.
This investment aims to triple the facility’s operational space, positioning it as Europe’s largest fiber-based food-to-go packaging manufacturer.
The expansion will allow Coveris to meet growing demand for sustainable packaging, integrating advanced technologies such as robotics, lean design, and smarter workflow systems. These upgrades will also enhance sustainability by reducing waste and optimizing raw material usage.
The expansion will feature high-speed, waste-reducing designs that increase production capabilities without altering the existing site footprint. This development will also “futureproof” the facility, allowing for further growth in future years.
Jo Ormrod, President of Coveris’ Paper Business Unit, expressed enthusiasm for the project, “We’re excited to unveil our expansion plans for St Neots and reinforce our commitment to our customers as a leader in food-to-go packaging. Our upgraded facility will not only increase capacity but will also reduce our environmental footprint.”
Work on the facility is set to begin this month, with completion expected in Q1 2025. The phased installation will be supported by nearby Coveris sites in St Neots, ensuring uninterrupted production.
Once completed, the facility will produce approximately 700 million recyclable Freshlife food-to-go packs annually.
The investment will also see the introduction of automated inspection systems and new air systems to reduce energy consumption.
Additionally, innovative waste segregation systems will recover up to 25% of waste as virgin boards, which will be reused in cartonboard production as part of Coveris’ ReCover recycling operations.
Coveris’ ReCover initiative addresses challenges in sourcing recycled feedstock by focusing on waste recovery, processing, and recycling within the packaging industry.
Through a partnership with waste management specialist Interzero, Coveris further strengthens its commitment to a circular plastics economy.
Last month, the company significantly increased its production of UK security labels in response to the highest spike in retail theft in England and Wales in over two decades.
The company has invested in additional capabilities, research, and development to address this growing issue to enhance production, security formats, and sustainability.
According to the British Retail Consortium (BRC), retail theft incidents have nearly doubled to 45,000 per day, costing the UK retail sector approximately £1.8 billion (US$2.3 billion) annually.
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