The plastic industry has recently had a harsh spotlight cast upon it; the release of The Blue Planet documentary rightfully whipped up a media frenzy when it came to the volume of plastic that was entering the ocean, and the on-going environmental and social impacts taking place as a result of this practice.

This release coincided with the change of the Chinese waste import policy. For the past 20 years China has been the biggest importer of global plastic waste, welcoming high-quality plastic scrap as a commodity to fuel the economic boom that has seen China become the second largest economy in the world.

As a manufacturing hub of the world, the material was profitably repurposed into products such as televisions, shoes, photo frames, pipes, clothing and cars.

China Shuts Its Doors to 24 Grades of Plastic

However, the Chinese Government faced a challenging social development from its public when it came to its environmental policies, leading to them embarking on a comprehensive anti-pollution campaign. Ultimately, this meant closing its doors to the majority of waste importation by banning 24 different grades of waste in 2016.

Earlier this year, we used Government and industry data to calculate that approximately 350,000 tonnes of UK plastic would go un-recycled due to the lack of alternative markets in 2018.

While other global markets have begun to open up, there has been a clear need for the UK infrastructure to be developed when it came to plastics recycling, the changes in China were a catalyst. There is a growing demand, ultimately coming from consumers, for brands to sell products that contain recycled material, and this pressure filters down to manufacturers to source this material, and offer complete transparency on where the supply has come from.

Recycling Anywhere But At Source is a Waste of Resources

It’s logical for plastic to be recycled at source, where the waste is being generated, anything less than that is wasting resources; the recycling of UK plastic MUST take place within the UK.

In order for Vanden Recycling to keep ahead of the curve following the changes to the Asian markets and help to shape the future of UK plastic recycling, we opened our UK recycling plant in Whittlesey, Peterborough, in February 2017, and its success led us to quickly plan for the next stage of UK expansion.

Over the last 18 months, the UK Recycling Plant has gone from strength to strength, we have created 20 jobs in the local community and with the shifts we have began to see in the awareness around plastics recycling, we expect this to increase this by employing another 15-20 members of staff.

Investing In Equipment That Accelerates Output

In order to support our growth plans; we invested in equipment that would accelerate output.  The processing facility has seen a new reprocessing line installed, doubling the capacity of the plant to five metric tonnes per hour.

This new line features quicker blade changes and more effective processing. While this new equipment offers wide capability, it will predominantly process Polypropylene (PP) and Polyethylene (HDPE); our goal is to double our annual output at the site by utilising the new line alongside the three existing lines which are processing ABS, PET, PS & PVC

As this awareness gathers pace due to growing consumer pressure, Vandens’ UK growth strategy will see us become an influential voice within the plastics industry recycling in the UK.

The level of expertise within the business in unprecedented, with the executive team from Australia and Asia leading the way with UK recycling and plastics experts David Wilson, Stephen Fieldhouse and business development managers, who are specialists within their respective verticals.

Plastic Recycling Will Transform the Manufacturing Industries

There is still very little awareness when it comes to the sheer scope that plastic recycling can offer a wide range of industries.  The legacy service for many manufacturers is largely centred on waste management, whose players are unable to provide the increased level of service, transparency and education when it comes to the field of plastics recycling.

There is a misconception that plastic is a ‘bad’ material, however in reality, we treating plastic in the wrong way.

Our new growth strategy will see us begin to work with firms at a consultative level. Partnering with manufacturers in sectors such as bottling, thermoforming, packaging and sheet extrusion in this way, will enable us to use our expertise to advise on the materials and internal processes that can be altered to improve their plastic recycling initiative. Areas such as scrap plastic segregation, staff training, onsite equipment such as Balers & Stillages and audit trail and compliance traceability.

Ultimately, we want to use our expertise, resources and plastic recycling facility to prove to manufacturers that plastic isn’t a waste material, but a resource that can be used time and time again, and that plastic recycling should be an integral part of the supply chain.

A Bold New Rebrand

A large part of our growth strategy is the bold new company rebrand, reflecting our approach to the industry. The recycling sector is perceived as out-dated, secretive and corporate, Vanden breaks this trend and we need to outwardly reflect this.

Red is honest, bold and straightforward, representing the people within Vanden and our ambitions; we want to be known as a business that provides real insights and information, not lip service that we think people want to hear.

Our extensive investment in the Vanden UK growth strategy sees us working towards our goal of processing 2,000MT of recycled plastic each month by 2020, and ultimately producing a product directly from our material to be sold direct to consumers. With the increasing awareness when it comes to plastics recycling and the growing demands being placed on manufacturers, we envisage the industry to accelerate quickly.

Matt joins Vanden with an extensive background in sales and marketing, having previously had a role at polymer distribution firm Polydist where he primarily worked with injection moulding businesses.

David Wilson, Managing Director of Vanden UK, said Matt’s knowledge and previous experience will help Vanden work more closely with fruit and vegetable producers and distributors:

“Matt’s role will be to source regular plastic supply from food producers and distributors, such as ‘one way’ trays and crates used in air freight or other non-returnable packaging that must be recycled, as well as helping businesses in this sector optimise their plastic recycling processes.

“Matt has a great history in the plastics sector. At Vanden, we always look for those who have the right attitude and share our company values – combined with his sound technical knowledge, he was the ideal person for the role.

“I know Matt will bring a lot of energy and enthusiasm to the role, helping to secure feedstock for our UK processing site while satisfying the needs of our suppliers.”

Matt said he was eager to work with a business like Vanden and help the company succeed:

“The recycling market is only going to grow and Vanden offered a fantastic opportunity for me to be a part of its growth. Right from the very first interview, I could tell Vanden was a very good company to be working for and is headed in the right direction. I know it will continue to grow and help businesses make the most of their plastic scrap and ensure it is dealt with correctly.”

Jason joins Vanden with more than 12 years in the commercial waste management sector, dealing primarily with post-consumer waste, as well as offering innovative solutions for space optimisation, weighing solutions for multiple tenants on mixed-use sites and helping educate and train staff on plastic separation at source.   

David Wilson, Managing Director of Vanden UK, said Jason’s extensive experience will help Vanden develop partnerships with food manufacturers: 

“Jason brings over a decade of experience in dealing with the complex requirements of an industrial and commercial client base. He’s previously worked for some of the best companies in the business and we’re delighted he’s chosen Vanden as the next step in his career.  

“Jason has considerable tender management and project lead experience and has provided sustainable solutions for a broad variety of clients. I couldn’t be happier Jason’s joining our growing commercial team.” 

Jason said Vanden’s clear and ethical processes was a key reason for joining the business:   

“The transparent approach to scrap processing and quality testing at Vanden, as well as the passion to do things properly and handle plastics with best practice always in mind, were huge factors in attracting me to the company. 

“I’m looking forward to working closely with food manufacturers to increase their recycling rates, ensuring minimal amounts of material goes to waste, and securing a regular source of plastic scrap for Vanden’s UK processing site.” 

Paul joins Vanden with more than 35 years in the plastic manufacturing and packaging sector and was a key part of the team at Marks and Spencer that established the feasibility of using recycled plastic (rPET) in food packaging.

He added: “I am a huge exponent of recovering and recycling plastic waste and I have always been. Plastics are wrongly getting a lot of bad press because the world in general doesn’t know how to handle them for future uses. Being part of Vanden, a business that has set out not only to instigate this process but also to advise, educate and assist companies to do the right thing, ticks all the boxes for me.”

David Wilson, Managing Director of Vanden UK, said the business was very happy with the appointment of Paul whose prior experience will help Vanden meet the needs

“He’s got depth of knowledge, experience and a great track record in exactly the sectors we want to penetrate. While he’s been used to selling raw material into the thermoforming and vacuum forming sectors, that’s exactly what we are looking for because he has great insight into the scrap they produce and the needs of those sectors.”

Paul added: “My knowledge of the UK food packaging industry is extensive and the result of a lot of years in that arena. Most of the big players in the industry have now equipped themselves and adopted recycling strategies. My hope and intention is to enable the SMEs in this sector, without the knowledge or the facilities, to match the bigger companies by using Vanden’s services.”

As well as placing a focus on firms operating in the waste management sector, Imran will be using his experience and commercial knowledge of the plastic recycling industry to develop partnerships with plastic sheet converters – namely bespoke packaging, producers of credit and loyalty card and flower label printers.

Imran joins the growing team at Vanden from a commercial background in plastic recycling, having played a pivotal role in heading up the secure destruction team in his previous position.

Imran says, “I hope to consolidate the great reputation Vanden has by continuing to build strong relationships with key stakeholders across the region.”

Managing Director of Vanden UK, David Wilson, has explained that Imran has quickly proven to be a valuable member of the business.

“I couldn’t be more pleased that Imran Magre has joined the Vanden team. Imran has significant experience in the purchasing of scrap plastic and is servicing our Waste Management and Recycler suppliers in the North of England. Imran has hit the ground running and is already becoming a familiar face with a number of our loyal supply base.”

Imran added, “It’s clear that our ability to offer quick and reliable collections of split loads meets the needs of waste managers. Our positioning in the trading markets means that we reprocess an extremely wide range of polymers and enabling waste managers to maximise their yard space. I look forward to further enabling waste management firms to elevate their business with Vanden’s services.”

The current recycling rate is less than 10% in the region, whereas established recycling ecosystems exceed 35% recycling rates. Saudi Arabia and UAE have a lot of catching up to do.

In order to achieve these goals, there is an urgent need for sustainable recovery systems and a structured approach. With our extensive knowledge of polymers, markets and processes, Vanden can help the ecosystem achieve these targets.

Our strong belief that plastic ‘waste’ is a commodity that creates sustainable circular supply chains means that Vanden is well positioned to support the needs of this region. Opportunities in the UAE and GCC are obvious with the low recycling rates and high waste generation. We believe Vanden will be a leader, bringing reliable solutions, enhancing the current recycling approach and supporting efforts to create a circular economy.

Operating as Vanden Recycling FZCO in the region, Vanden will support the recycling ecosystem, acting as a leader and offering expertise on recyclables, increasing awareness and creating value. Scaling up a recycling ecosystem in a short period of time will be only be achievable with experts in the field.

Vanden will be working hand-in-hand as a partner with local chain elements of the region’s recycling ecosystem.

The entire Vanden team have worked hard to create a dynamic and supportive environment. This has made it possible to empower the team located in Dubai to explore valuable opportunities in plastic waste and recycling in UAE & GCC region.

One member of that team is business development manager, Beril Yesilirmak. Beril joined Vanden in June of this year and is responsible for generating our market position in the GCC region and Middle East. This will include building up effective networks to reach long-term partnerships with suppliers and developing a secure and diverse customer base.

“It’s imperative that we increase the awareness about the importance and the opportunities for plastic scrap and waste in the region with Vanden solutions. I will be placing a focus on developing procurement of recycled plastic resins from GCC markets to be sold to Asia, Europe and Turkey.”

The Vanden company structure is well established, covering all the needs of the different markets. Access to all the required information and know-how has never been easier for our international teams.

Beril has also commented on the value she has found in our company values and structure,

“Vanden’s values and the structure of the company are playing a crucial role in the growing team. There is an emphasis placed on bringing standardised criteria and supporting the ecosystem with a much more reliable approach to recyclables. Team work, adding value, growth, ownership, enjoying the ride and gratefulness are values that are involved in everyday processes that leads to enhancing success of the team.”

Some of the key objectives for the business development managers will be contributing to, and supporting, a high awareness on the recycling solutions that are available. Vanden will be working to communicate our recognisable value-added approach to suppliers and customers, creating long term partnerships in the region as we become a leading solutions provider that enhances the plastic recycling ecosystem in the region.

Led by its Australian team, Vanden Recycling is excited to announce the launch of the ‘Think Beginning Not End’ Podcast, covering sustainability, recycling issues and innovation. The goal is to shift the conversation around plastic scrap being a waste by-product to one focused on that fact it is a valuable resource.

The first episode airs on Friday 13^th December 2019 and features an in-depth interview with Anthony Peyton.

Anthony is the CEO and co-founder of PREP Design, a firm that offers unique and bespoke design solutions for brand owners and packaging designers, via a specialist software tool.

The tool brings together Anthony’s knowledge and experience from the waste sector and generation of waste, MRF’s and the downstream recycling process.

Vanden’s Australian Director, Simon van Leuven, talks with Anthony about designing packaging for recycling. From compatible labelling to the size and shape of the packaging, PREP’s portal helps to reduce the confusion at the design stage over the recyclability of the product.

The ‘Think Beginning Not End’ podcast series is aligned with Vanden’s brand values and aims to improve the level of transparency within the plastic recycling industry.

It will provide a platform for people to learn more about innovation, challenges, projects and initiatives and the key players in the movement for supply chain sustainability.

Other guests in future episodes include Gayle Sloan, CEO of the Waste Management Association of Australia and Viv Lister, Group Head of the Trade, Transport and Regulatory group.

Damien van Leuven, CEO of Vanden Recycling, comments, ‘The key to unlocking the value and recyclability of plastics is to reverse engineer how they become waste in the first place.

Tackling a problem at the root cause is the only way to create sustainable change. Rethinking how a product is designed and made, procurement practices and how it travels through the supply chain. We hope this podcast can spark debate and connect product designers and recyclers to create innovative solutions.’

You can find the ‘Think Beginning Not End’ podcast audio episode on Spotify and Apple Music, while the video episode can be found on Simon’s YouTube Channel.

Last year, Vanden Recycling became the proud sponsors of Whittlesey Juniors U14s, much to the delight of the youngsters and manager, Darren Jackson.

The sponsorship was led by Marcus Branton, Product Technologist and Dale Digby, Health and Safety at Vanden Recycling.

You can learn more about the Vanden team here.

Having lived in Whittlesey all of his life, Marcus was keen for Vanden to build relationships with the local community, and felt the club demonstrated great potential. The sponsorship also presented an opportunity for Vanden to educate the youngsters when it comes to plastic recycling, and the actions they can take themselves to ensure it is diverted away from landfill.

“At Vanden, we’re passionate about educating the younger generation when it comes to the true value of plastic”, explains Marcus.

“There is no getting away from the fact that plastic is an intrinsic part of everyday life. They have the perception that plastic is bad. Really, plastic is not all bad, it is just that society has not given enough thought and care as to how we collect plastic along with other forms of waste to maximise its potential for reuse.

“We want the next generation to understand: plastic doesn’t pose an issue. The way we are disposing of it does.”

During the visit, the team enjoyed the quality control demonstrations from the Vanden team to bring the issues they face to life. They were given an insight into the ways that Vanden identify plastic material and assess contamination levels, using a rare earth magnet and burn testing.

Club Manager, Darren Jackson, comments:

“We were really pleased when Vanden agreed to the sponsorship, the team are thrilled with their new kit! The boys thoroughly enjoyed the visit and took all of the information in, they probably listened more than they do in training!

“It has opened theirs, and their parents, eyes when it comes to plastic and the way it should be recycled.”

We are delighted to announce that Vanden Recycling has been awarded with BUILD magazine’s UK Plastic Recycling Specialists of the Year for 2019!

The awards, run by the digital publication dedicated to the construction and property markets, aimed to “shine a spotlight on the ground-breaking work that is done in the name of innovation in the recycling and waste management spheres”.

In a press release discussing the awards, Jack Wainwright, Awards Coordinator, said: “Waste management is a fundamentally important part of daily business – especially in the construction and property spheres – that so often gets taken for granted and rarely receives the recognition it deserves. From everyone here at BUILD, we say thank you and congratulations.”

Winners of the awards were chosen by a judging panel who reviewed and deliberated nominations.

For further information on the awards, visit the BUILD magazine website.

Our Turkish arm, trading as Vanden Polimer Geri Donusum A.S., will be led by Derya Eksi. Derya joins us with a deep knowledge of polymers. Having amassed 13 years of experience in the raw plastic material industry, Derya will support Vanden Recycling in identifying and negotiating new supply sources for the polymer and recycled resins market.

‘‘Our goal in Turkey is to help the local plastic manufacturing market increase its use of recycled content. Vanden will provide access to international markets for recycled resins and products made in Turkey”, explains Vanden Recycling CEO, Damien van Leuven.

Turkey has already displayed great initiative when it comes waste management, most noticeably with the launch of the Zero Waste Project. Turkey’s current recycling rate is 13% and the project aims to take this up to 35% by 2023.

We will align with this initiative by working to challenge the perception of plastic and providing plastic manufacturers with recycling solutions that also generate revenue.

“Creating public consciousness is a top priority” says Derya. “There is a strong belief in Turkey that plastic scrap is a waste material, when in reality it can be treated as a valuable raw material.”

With our in-depth knowledge, passion for plastic recycling and global locations, Vanden is well-placed to service the needs to the Turkish market.

For further information on the services offered by Vanden Polimer Geri Donusum A.S., please contact Derya Eksi via D.Eksi@vandenrecycling.com