Sustainable Partnerships: Sustainable Waste Management using rPP Big Bags
June 10, 2021
Making the world a better place for future generations to enjoy is part of the strategic goals of many companies these days. However, this cannot be done in isolation, by any one single company. To really make an impact, we need to join forces. And that’s exactly what is happening in Ireland. Our LC Ireland branch contributed to a high-quality, innovative and environmentally sound solution for waste management to the residential developments of Marlet Property Group.
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How it started
LC Packaging Ireland has been Bord na Móna Recycling’s (BNM) packaging partner for many years. LC Packaging Ireland and the new EASi Waste Compactor system were first introduced when BNM was facing quality issues with its previous big bags for an older waste compactor version.
Around the same time, BNM entered into conversations with Marlet Property Group. As one of Ireland’s leading property developers, Marlet is driven by the commitment to create Dublin’s most inspiring and sustainable places in which to live and work. Reducing the carbon footprint of its residential sites is an essential part of this commitment. In their quest for sustainable waste management solutions, Marlet met with BNM and agreed to start using the new EASi Waste Compactor.
LC big bags and the EASi Waste Compactor
Designed and made in Ireland, the EASi is a patented waste compactor system that uses LC Packaging’s big bags for compacting and storing waste safely and efficiently. With the EASi system, the only thing that needs to be transported is the big bag with compacted waste. The frequency of truck movements and waste collections can be drastically reduced, reducing carbon footprint by 93% compared to wheelie bin collection. Since the EASi concept is designed to be as sustainable as possible, the choice of partnering with LC was an obvious one. LC is a frontrunner in sustainability in the big bag sector with an EcoVadis Platinum certification. LC has invested in a recycling facility to produce recycled Polypropylene (rPP) from its industrial process waste, a first step towards future production of post-consumer rPP big bags.
Joint ambitions for sustainable growth
Meanwhile, the first results are very positive. The roll out of the first machines using big bags with rPP made from process waste is underway. And there’s more to come: Marlet, as part of its commitment to using the most environmentally sustainable solutions, has announced the installation of the new EASI Waste Compactor system in all its future residential developments, serving 12,000 households. In addition, BNM intends to replace all its current compacting machines with EASi units and is in the process of switching to rPP bags in the former machines. By the end of 2022, all compacting machines operated by BNM will be using rPP big bags.
All of these achievements and ambitions are powered by three factors: having a commitment towards a sustainable future, being prepared to act upon it, and engaging in the right partnerships to make it happen. When the right parties join forces, similar successes could be achieved in many other industries. We are ready to engage!
LC Packaging has the ambition to produce big bags containing post-consumer rPP, which will require an even closer collaboration for the collection of used FIBCs to ‘close the loop’.