EVANSVILLE - Berry Global has announced an agreement with PureCycle that will provide Berry with PureCycle’s Ultra-Pure Recycled (UPR) advanced recycled resin.

The agreement is the latest in a growing list of advanced recycling material sourcing announcements from Berry as it looks to meet growing consumer demand for more environmentally friendly products and is the company’s second based in North America.

In support of a circular economy, Berry uses advanced recycling to provide an outlet for difficult-to-recycle materials to be given a second life in the form of food-grade packaging. While post-consumer resin often lacks the high-clarity customers desire, circular resins from advanced recycling boast exceptional clarity.

PureCycle’s ground-breaking patented recycling process, separates colour, odour, and contaminants from plastic waste feedstock to transform it into ultra-pure recycled polypropylene. The recycling service converts waste plastic into virgin-like plastic fully closing the loop on the reuse of recycled plastics while making recycled polypropylene more accessible at scale to companies desiring to use a sustainable, recycled resin.

The material will be supplied to Berry in summer 2023 for manufacturing at one of Berry’s ISCC PLUS certified facilities, providing customers with maximum traceability for the materials. Berry previously announced its first three facilities in North America to achieve ISCC PLUS certification.

The latest research cited by Berry shows that given the option to buy products with recyclable or compostable packaging, 47 per cent of Americans opt for recyclable products as their first choice, and 20 per cent prefer compostable products. 77 per cent of Americans are also concerned about the environmental impact of products they buy, and 78 per cent are more likely to purchase a product that is clearly labeled as environmentally friendly.

“Customers look to Berry for unique ways to meet their ambitious sustainability goals. Through our access to advanced recycled resin and technical expertise, Berry is a dependable partner for customers in the implementation of sustainable solutions,” said Tom Salmon, Berry’s Chairman and CEO. “By using our relationships with top suppliers and the latest technologies, we bring our customers premier access to in-demand circular resins.”