Armacell recycles 1 billion plastic bottles

Armacell, a Luxembourg-based company that specializes in flexible foam for the equipment insulation market, has celebrated the landmark of 1 billion recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles consumption in its foaming process to manufacture PET foam products. According to an ews release from Armacell, the company hosted a celebration event with 80 guests from the recycling and composites industry at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium. 

The event, which took place Dec. 12, included speeches by Armacell President and CEO Patrick Mathieu on the company’s sustainability story as well as Marius Smit, CEO and founder of Plastic Whale, on creating value from plastic waste. Other presenters included Christian Crepet, executive director of Petcore Europe; Dr. Karl Paetz-Lauter, retired vice president of Armacell; and Dr. Justyna Dolega, Armacell’s global innovation manager. 

“Converting plastic bottles into structural foam products used in applications such as wind turbines, high-speed trains, walkways and surfboards represents a significant step toward closing the loop in plastic production,” Armacell states in a news release on the milestone.

In 2010, Armacell launched the world’s first foam cores made from 100 percent recycled PET (rPET). Today, the company’s entire PET foam product portfolio is based on this process technology, the company states in a news release. Armacell’s rPET technology uses recycled PET bottles that are rejected for reuse by the PET recycling industry, and Armacell converts the material into high-quality resource to feed it back into the production cycle.

“There is a sustainable alternative to single-use plastics, and Armacell is playing its part in working towards a circular model,” says Thomas Kessel, general manager at Armacell PET Foams. “In reusing plastic bottles, Armacell is making a difference around the world.”