CIRCULAR ECONOMY IS IN OUR DNA

PET packaging plays a crucial role in food preservation, both in terms of safety and hygiene as well as minimization of food waste. A sustainable future isn’t possible without PET packaging. For this reason, Evertis has focused on a circular economy for PET since our foundation. It’s in our DNA.

Evertis envisions a future with increased use of recycled content in our films, greater recyclability of our products and lowest feasible carbon footprint where our group plays a leading role in sensitizing our communities to the benefits of recycling PET and advancing a closed loop economy.  

OUR PLEDGE FOR THE PLANET

Evertis films target 50% recycled content and 100% recyclability.

DRIVE

PACKAGING

RECYCLING

EVERTIS RECEIVED AN OVERALL A- SCORE

Going beyond assessing products and material flows, this company-level tool reveals the extent to which a company has achieved circularity across its entire operations. 

Check out our interview With Packaging Europe

Our Chief Product Officer and our Head of Marketing & Sustainability share their insights on the circularity of PET trays through tray-to-tray recycling, eco-design and the importance of cross-section collaboration in the PET industry.

FOCUS ON ECO DESIGN

Our sales teams focus on guiding customers in terms of product eco design, balancing sustainability and package functionality. 

At Evertis we focus on the 3 R’s: 

REDUCE - LIGHTWEIGHT YOUR PACKAGE

At Evertis we work together with our customers to reduce film thickness, thereby optimizing packaging weight, to keep it as resource efficient as possible while ensuring protection and fitness for use. We advise our customers in terms of the protective value afforded of the packaged good which supports product quality, or food safety and guarantees that the new package meets quality and technical expectations. Evertis has proven that recycled content is not a limiting factor in reducing material thickness. 

Apart from lightweight packaging, Evertis encourages customers to eliminate or reduce secondary packaging which is often unnecessary and not environmentally friendly.

Lightweight packaging means fewer trucks needed to ship the same number of products, helping to:

REDUCE
 transportation energy
REDUCE
 emissions and lower shipping costs
REDUCE
 the amount of waste generated

RECYCLE

Evertis globally targets 50% PCR utilization in all products.1
The know-how and technology of our processes allows us to optimize the percentage of RPET included on an order-to-order basis by evaluating the quality and cost of the available material.
Evertis quality inspection assures the integrity of the physical properties to meet the customer requirements.
EFSA and FDA food contact approval for up to 100% recycled content.
Guarantee that new package materials meets quality and technical performance.
1 Our 50% target is an aspirational goal for all products, however, exceptions to this target are granted for specific customer applications where PCR content is not possible due to regulatory or application specific limits.

TAKING PET ON A SUSTAINABLE JOURNEY!

Watch our video and find out how we give PET packaging a new life.

SOURCES OF RECYCLED CONTENT

At Evertis we give post-industrial and post-consumer multilayer trays another life. We prove that a circular economy for trays is a reality through the partnership we’ve formed together with a company with a unique technology that permits incorporating recycled PET, obtained from a delamination process of multilayer waste, to be reintroduced as secondary raw material in our film production processes. Thanks to this, Evertis supports the European Plastics Strategy, which establishes that 10 million recycled tons must be incorporated into new products in the European Union market in 2025.

Consolidating a Circular Economy
model in the PET food industry

MULTILAYER PET-BASED TRAY FEATURES

RECYCLABLE PACKAGING

The different product layers that form the films are separated and the polymers can be recycled and reused.

EXTENDS SHELF LIFE OF FOOD

Given the properties of distinctive layers, which act as a barrier for certain gasses, shelf life is enhanced, guaranteeing food freshness and quality for a longer period of time.

CONTRIBUTES TO REDUCING CO2 EMISSIONS

PET is a very light material that allows for a large quantity of product to be packaged while using a small amount of material, reducing environmental impact. With 15 grams of PET it’s possible to package 18 times the weight of a fresh food product.

ECODESIGN

Evertis use of environmentally friendly adhesives, avoiding non-recyclable adhesives such as polyurethane, permits the delamination process.

MULTILAYER POST-INDUSTRIAL AND POST-CONSUMER RECYCLING PROCESS

RETRAY CERTIFICATE

RETRAY is the ECOSENSE Foundation’s certification scheme to consolidate a circular economy model in the value chain of PET film, and thermoformed PET packaging, by certifying the recycled content included in film production within one year. RETRAY’s certificate emphasizes traceability of recycled content, specifying how much is incorporated from the tray recycling stream, and other sources, hence verifying Evertis commitment to closing the loop of PET trays.

RETRAY Process is a replacement of the ECOSENSE certification, expanding its requirements to incorporate those included in the UNE-EN 15343. Evertis had the ECOSENSE certificate since 2019, for our facilities in Portugal,  and in 2022 we took advantage of its renewal to carry out the audit to obtain the RETRAY Process certification.

Learn more here about the recyclability of PET food trays according to the Ecosense Foundation.

RENASCIS

MISSION

Drive a circular economy for PET packaging by repurposing “waste” into food-grade PET flake to unleash the potential of a closed loop industry through:

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Sensitising consumers and policy makers on the imperative of strengthening the recycling system;

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Partnering with waste management entities to enhance the quality and identification of additional PET streams;

-

Developing the most sustainable technologies to optimise recyclability levels;

-

Supporting packaging producers to develop more  circular products while preserving food safety.

VISION

All packaging materials, after purpose, will no longer be considered waste, but rather a valuable resource which can be recycled again and again.

Through our mechanical recycling process, we convert waste material into “new” raw material, without changing the basic structure.
The total production of our recycling plant represents 55% of Evertis’ flake consumption for film manufacturing.

At times we have recovered a volume of

bottle bales equivalent to 90% of PET

bottles of the Portuguese waste stream

At our Industrial Site in Portugal, Evertis, Selenis (sister-company) and Renascis, are circularly integrated. As an integrated recycler, specialty polyester and multilayer barrier film producer, we have created synergies that translate into a lower carbon footprint thanks to the reduction of raw materials transportation costs.

Ensuring traceability

RecyClass Recycling Process certification

Our recycling plant, Renascis, is RecyClass Recycling Process certified, demonstrating the quality of our processes and transparently communicating the origin of waste. 

Recyclass certifications are the seal of approval that our products are a fit for circularity and compliance. 

Benefits of the certification

  • Attests to the high standards of recycling practices
  • Brings transparency to the origin of plastic waste
  • Facilitates compliance with EU legislative requirements
  • Promotes credibility in plastic recycling processes
  • Increases trust among consumers and suppliers

The Audit Scheme requirements are aligned with those of EN 15343:2007 and ISO 22095:2020 standards.

RECYCLING PROCESS

Disjoining bottles and prepare
stream for the following operations
Iron removal/Sleeve and labels
from bottles removal
Eliminate particules and residues
from bottles
Remove items made of material that are different from the primary resin and remove packaging or packing components that are not visible or detectable by optical sorting
Remove other resins than those in
the main PET stream and fine
sorting by material, shape and colour
Reduce packaging into flakes
Eliminate particles,
residues, glues, inks
Guarantees an high
clean flake surface
Material separation by
density difference
Remove residual flake metal
particles like aluminium, steal and iron
/Remove unwanted material
not eliminated
Non PET Stream-Delivered to an authorized waste
management system

REUSE

NO OPERATIONAL WASTE

Through Evertis’ advanced processes, we reuse all internal scrap of multilayer and single layer products, allowing us to claim: “All Evertis plants create zero landfilled scrap”. Evertis’ strict waste management system and reuse policy allows us to meet this objective and reincorporate 100% of waste produced in extrusion and slitting processes. This also includes scrap produced during equipment changeovers, machine stops and restarts.

Evertis’ philosophy to reuse resources is key to the group’s constant focus on recycling. It’s our belief that recycling is a great waste-management strategy, whereby environmental impact and resource depletion are reduced. With our principles based on high levels of recycling, at Evertis we pair our reuse and remanufacturing efforts to reduce levels of material usage and energy. Within this framework of sustainable development, Evertis is not only providing a partial solution to solid waste problems, but also contributing to reduction of energy and raw petrochemicals consumption.

CIRCULARITY OF PACKAGING MATERIALS

Evertis promotes the use of pallets produced with 100% recycled HDPE, with the objective of contributing towards a circular economy. The enduring commitment to sustainability comes from business practices that reduce negative impact on the environment; hence we believe this is also the ideal solution for our customers in the long-term. 

These pallets are ideal for pooling as our company logo can be added to distinguish them from others. Additionally, we have a pooling system in place resulting in an 88% pallet return and reuse rate in 2022 - more than a 4% improvement from 2021.

We take our reuse policy down to the smallest details as we also use reuse cores that are fit for use and resell to our supplier those that are not in perfect condition. 

Evertis is fully committed to a circular economy. We were pioneers in the inclusion of recycled content in our films, with our own recycling unit as of 2002, and increased the recyclability of our products, through a partnership for tray-to-tray recycling since 2019.

9,800 tonnes of post-consumer PET waste recycled in 2022

Environmental savings

2,777

cars permanently removed from roads every year

25,000

average household energy usage saved/year
Landfill savings of

568,000

wheelie bins

88

Olympic swimming pools of water savings

BENEFITS OF INCORPORATION OF RECYCLED CONTENT

At Evertis we directly contribute to a circular economy as well as reducing our environmental footprint:

We reduce waste

Recycling helps reduce waste by bringing discarded materials to recycling facilities, such as ours. The cycle of waste ends at our recycling plant.

We save energy

Life cycle studies prove the following environmental benefits of recycling: the total energy required to produce rPET resin is at least 75% lower than the total energy demand for virgin PET. The process and transport energy required to produce rPET is 40% lower than that of virgin PET resin.

We conserve natural resources

Our planet ’s resources have been overused and been depleted over time. At Evertis, we strive to conserve our natural resources by recycling materials in our recycling plant.

We reduce GHG emissions

Recycling helps curb greenhouse gas emissions since new products are produced by materials that would otherwise have been filling up landfills. Instead of manufacturing products with 100% virgin raw materials, a process that emits more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, Evertis prioritizes recycling secondary raw materials, which reduces greenhouse gas emissions by almost 60%.

Do you want to explore further what we do to reduce our environmental footprint? Learn more in environment

EVERTIS 2021 INCORPORATION OF RECYCLED CONTENT

In 2021, the Evertis Group incorporated a total of 31K tonnes of recycled content equivalent to:

Greenhouse Benefits
8,800
Cars permanently
removed from roads
Water Savings
280
Olympic swimming
pools saved
Energy Savings
79,600
Average household energy usage saved per year
Landfill Space Savings
1,8 million
Wheelie bins
saved

TOGETHER FOR A WORLDWIDE CIRCULAR ECONOMY

Associations are becoming an increasingly a vital element for creating solutions that close the loop. At Evertis, we believe in close engagement and joining efforts with other partners. This helps expand our reach as we share resources and expertise, bringing long-term stability which is vital for a circular economy.

PETCORE EUROPE

Evertis participates in various Working Groups with the objective of listening to a variety of perspectives, sharing experience and knowledge, brainstorming for generation of ideas and achieving a supportive collaboration. We are part of a communication taskforce that is working on a future communications campaign with the main objective that PET remains the material of choice for packaging. Evertis specifically contributes to the working groups that focus on:

-

Recycling PET thermoforms - Tray to Tray

-

PET monomer recycling special industry group

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Working Group on opaque and functional bottles

Additionally, we have financially contributed to the campaign, together with several other members of Petcore Europe.

NAPCOR

Through our membership we reenforce our commitment to the responsibility of our environmental impact and recycling of our products.
Evertis contributed towards NAPCOR’s Positively PET campaign, designed to:

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Educate consumers on PET attributes and how to recycle PET

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Promote environmental benefits of PET

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Balance misinformation about PET plastic

SMART WASTE PORTUGAL

Evertis participates in several Working Groups that promote and support activities that contribute to a circular economy. Additionally, we influence EPRs to promote a tray-to-tray recycling stream.

PLASTICS PACT & ELLEN MACARTHUR FOUNDATION

Founded by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the Plastics Pact is a network of global initiatives that gather all strategic stakeholders, at national or regional level, to implement solutions towards a circular economy for plastics. The pacts are based on the idea of a common vision for plastics that will accelerate the transition to a closed loop economy for plastics, referred to as a New Plastics Economy.

Evertis is a founding member of both the Portuguese and the US Plastics Pact. Each initiative is led by a local organisation and unites governments, businesses, and citizens behind the common vision with a concrete set of ambitious local targets.

european plastics pact

Evertis is a founding member of the European Plastics Pact, which aims to accelerate the shift towards the reuse and recycling of single-use plastic products and packaging.

Evertis contributed to the creation of the EPP Roadmap, aligned with existing European initiatives such as the UN Global Partnership on Marine Litter, the Basel Convention, the national Plastics Pacts, the global commitment from Ellen Mac Arthur foundation and the European Commission’s Circular Plastic Alliance.

Additionally, Evertis participates in several working groups in order to: 

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COOPERATE across the value chain on a European scale to boost the development of smarter techniques and approaches, and cement an innovative community;

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HARMONIZE guidelines, standards and national supporting frameworks. Countries will take on current legal barriers, creating a level playing field and building scale;

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CONNECT to share their best practices and lessons learned across Europe in meetings, annual progress reports and on the website, in order to accelerate the shift to circularity by default.

CIRCULAR PLASTICS ALLIANCE

Evertis is a signatory member of the Circular Plastics Alliance, which, supported by the European Commission, endorses the ambitious target that by 2025 at least 10 million tons of recycled plastics should find their way into products and packaging in Europe each year.

ANIPAC

Evertis joined ANIPAC, the Mexican National Association of the Plastic Industry, present throughout the supply chain for over 60 years. Their goal is to promote the competitiveness and sustainability of the plastics industry, in harmony with the environment and the community. ANIPAC carries out actions supported by ethics and dialogues, as well as specialised services to its associates. Evertis contributes through participating in working groups focused on integral development of the productive chain of the plastics industry.

ABIPLAST

Evertis is a proud member of  ABIPLAST, the Brazilian Plastic Industry Association, that has supported for more than five decades, the plastic transformation and recycling industries. Evertis participates in industry workshops, seminars and trade shows, as well as counting on the association’s support and monitorization of our commitment to the Operation Clean Sweep.

APR - USA

Through our sister company Selenis, our Group is a member of the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR). Through this alliance we enhance plastic recycling by improving quality and increasing supply through technical resources, testing programs, design solutions, corporate training, regulatory leadership and educational programs.

PIEP

PIEP is an initiative of the plastics and molds sector that collaborates with the University of Minho, through the Department of Polymer Engineering (DEP-UM) and IAPMEI.  Through our sister company, Selenis, our Group is a member of this initiative. The main objectives of PIEP, amongst others, are:

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Strengthen the competitiveness of the plastics and molds industry, through the development of proprietary technologies and the conception of innovative products.

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Promote a culture and an effective practice of R&D practices.

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Show the national endogenous capacity to respond, in useful time, to specific innovation challenges. 

Explore more, about our partnerships.

CHANGING CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR AND ATTITUDES

"IF WE FOCUS ON BANNING PLASTICS THE ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS WILL BE DEVASTATING"

KIM RAGAERT
Professor on materials science and polymer processing at the University Ghent, Belgium

Evertis believes the benefits of PET are often under-rated and misjudged. In a world where citizens and consumers are constantly bombarded by information, there is confusion around PET and its role. This has led us to take a role in sensitizing our communities through educational programs developed by our team, as well as through contributions to communication campaigns such as Positively PET and Recycle the One.

Evertis commits to communicating credible, evidence-based and solutions-oriented information on PET and recycling. By giving consumers clearer information, we can educate them on the purpose and benefits of PET packaging and how and what can be recycled.

FEATURED STORY

Promoting environmental awareness, protection and supporting vulnerable communities through job creation in the recycling sector

April 2023 - Curitiba, Brasil

We are proud of our Eco-bricks partnership with Sol Pacífico Foundation, an excellent initiative to promote sustainability and reduce plastic waste. Recycling awareness for kids is essential to build a more sustainable future and create a generation of environmentally conscious individuals. By teaching them about recycling, we can empower them to take action and make a positive impact on the environment.

Explore +

PET has unique and versatile characteristics that no other material can match.
At Evertis we do our part in passing the message: 

HYGIENIC

health pandemics such as covid-19

SAFE

food safety requirements and no BPA’s

SUPERIOR BARRIER PROPERTIES

preserve and protect perishable products, helping to reduce food waste 

DURABLE

high impact resistance

LIGHTWEIGHT

reduce environmental footprint

RECYCLABLE AND REUSABLE

established recycling stream