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.
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 CO2 emissions. This makes it easy for growers to do their bit to close the material loop.
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.
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.