Inteplast facilities earn ISCC certification

Three U.S. factories operated by the Livingston, New Jersey-based Inteplast Group have received ISCC (International Sustainability & Carbon Certification) Plus certification.

The Inteplast BOPP Films business unit can now offer ISCC-certified recycled-content plastic film materials made at its facilities in Gray Court, South Carolina; Lolita, Texas; and Morristown, Tennessee.

Lines at those plants can now produce and supply ISCC-certified materials that are attributed via a mass balance approach, the company says, making Inteplast “one of the first North American biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) film manufacturers to hold the ISCC PLUS designation.”

Paul Marquard, general manager and vice president of BOPP Films, says the certification and its mass balance approach “fortifies” circular economic development in the 21st century, helping turn plastic scrap into “a restorative resource.”

“Inteplast BOPP Films is committed to embracing the principles of a circular economy, which will shape our operational procedures and product innovation," Marquard says. "With our ISCC Plus certification, we are equipped to provide cutting-edge recycling solutions that align with the objectives of packaging converters and consumer product companies.

“Ultimately, our certified materials contribute to a significant reduction in the utilization of fossil-based virgin plastics within packaging.”

Rafael Bayona, Inteplast director of research and development, quality assurance, and technology, says the firm’s customers are demonstrating an increasing demand for recycled-content materials.

“The flexible packaging industry is demanding end-of-life solutions,” he says. “The development of advanced recycling technology has been established in North America and will continue to expand in scale. The ISCC PLUS certification at our U.S. facilities and our plan to expand the certification to our remaining Canadian plant allows us to provide films linked to varying levels of certified material across our full portfolio of films.”

Bayona says every department in the BOPP Films U.S. plants has been trained to implement ISCC Plus certification standards in areas of sales, production, marketing and procurement. The remaining BOPP Films plant in Lanoraie, Quebec, Canada, is expected to be certified by this June.

Inteplast Group began its recycling-related sustainability efforts more than three decades ago at its site in Texas. “The development of recyclable and reusable packaging lines, postconsumer resin blends in grocery and retail items, and other innovation that aligns with the tenets of lean manufacturing is prioritized throughout BOPP Films,” the firm says.

Established in 1991, Inteplast Group now has more than 8,000 employees helping manufacture plastics for the health care, food service, packaging, building products, grocery, retail, sanitation, industrial, and graphic arts industries.