From now on, growers will receive payment for providing Modiform with used polystyrene (PS) trays. The Leusden-based company will pay a competitive price per kilogram for returned PS trays. Modiform will recycle the returned trays at its facilities in order to make new products.
Win-win
There are benefits to collecting the trays from growers. Growers do not have to dispose of the trays themselves and receive a fair payment for providing them for collection. In addition, the PS material is reused. This not only has benefits in terms of sustainability, as no virgin plastic is needed for production, but also helps to reduce CO2emissions. This makes it easy for growers to do their bit to close the material loop.
How does it work?
The trays will be collected after being registered on www.modiform.com/en/about-modiform-/payment-for-recycling-orders-for-ps-trays. The returned pallets or bales of PS trays are weighed at Modiform. The company calculates the amount of the payment based on the kilograms weighed and the raw material price applicable at the time. 15% is deducted from the weighed kilograms in order to account for contamination such as waste, sand, or water. For a pallet including packaging, 25 kilograms are deducted from the total. Outside the Netherlands, standard transport costs are charged for the collection of used PS products. The collected trays are ground and washed to produce granules. Modiform then uses recycled material to produce new trays.
Maximum conservation of raw materials
Alongside doing everything it can to close the material loop, Modiform aims to kick out virgin plastic from its own production and business operations, and even the whole supply chain, by 2025. ‘This requires cooperation across the board as well as efforts to create sustainable business opportunities and come up with smart solutions. In order to get one step closer to achieving our Horizon2025 ambition, we are going to start collecting PS material from growers. Maximum conservation of raw materials prevents unnecessary losses, and that reduces our products’ environmental footprint,’ says Jan van Brummelen, Director of Production at Modiform.
Please see www.modiform.nl for more information about PS tray returns. If you have any questions, please e-mail recycling@modiform.nl
Closed Loop Commitment
Modiform’s focal points for sustainability come together in its Closed Loop Commitment. The material loop can and must be closed. Using the right materials and production techniques reduces products’ environmental impact. The Closed Loop Commitment consists of many building blocks: from sharing knowledge to producing recyclable products made from recyclable materials (like plastic or alternatives like cardboard) for the ecoExpert range. To this end, Modiform focuses on cooperation with a number of chain parties. From breeder and grower, to trade and retail. Modiform supports, facilitates, and develops simple and complex solutions for packaging needs and consequently adds value to the supply chain. Thinking and acting sustainably is in the genes of this family company. Modiform collects materials from wider society and upcycles these into high-quality and unique products as well as innovative concepts.