Schütz expands Recobulk list

RECYCLING ROUND FRANCE

IBCS • SCHÜTZ CONTINUES TO EXPAND ITS RECYCLING NETWORK, ADDING FRANCE-BASED DUO EMBALLAGES TO ITS LIST OF LICENSED RECOBULK PRODUCERS

THERE IS LITTLE doubt that sustainability is a core consideration for users of industrial packaging, as well as manufacturers, now that environmental issues are front-page news and the allure of saving costs through reconditioning has never been stronger. Schütz has been leading the charge for sustainable, environmentally friendly industrial transport packaging for more than three decades and has constantly been developing its own recycling systems for collecting and reconditioning used intermediate bulk containers (IBCs).

According to a recent survey among leading brand owners and retailers in Germany, the UK, France, Italy and Spain, 62 per cent said they anticipate a growing demand for sustainable packaging. With nearly two-thirds of businesses expecting demand to keep on increasing across the continent, companies such as Schütz are positioning themselves to meet that demand.

To continue delivering the highest-level quality goods to clients, Schütz has recruited Duo Emballages into the Schütz Recobulk partner programme, certifying Duo Emballages as a manufacturer of Recobulk IBCs. Duo Embellages is a highly experienced provider of chemical packaging solutions, treating some 220,000 plastic drums, 155,000 containers and 300,000 metal drums each year.

PARTNER PROGRAMME Within the scope of a special cooperation, selected companies are licensed to manufacture Recobulk IBCs to meet the original Schütz quality. A Recobulk is on a par with a Schütz Ecobulk IBC in terms of safety and quality. Recobulks are only manufactured on certified production lines using resourcefriendly processes in compliance with the highest environmental and safety standards. The strict criteria a company must meet to become a licensed manufacturer of Schütz IBCs ensures that the industry-leading levels of quality are not compromised, Schütz says.

Schütz equips partners with the necessary equipment and instruction for production, plus original spare parts. Duo Emballages is committed to fully and comprehensively adopting the uniform process standards. To monitor progress and processes, compliance is regularly audited by Schütz, giving customers the confidence of knowing that they can use a Recobulk to transport their products without hesitation – regardless of whether the containers are produced by Schütz or by Duo Emballages.

Schütz operates a worldwide and sustainable collection and reconditioning system for used IBCs. The used inner bottles are removed and ground up in a closed-cycle washing and cleaning process to produce pure HDPE recyclate. Furthermore, each Recobulk saves approximately 100 kg of CO2 emissions compared with a new IBC. Even the washing water for cleaning in the process is recycled in a closed loop and reused.

Duo Emballages is a French family-owned company specialising in recycling used industrial packaging such as IBCs and plastics and steel drums. It currently operates a total factory area of 130,000 m2 over four locations in France, drastically increasing the efficiency of delivery for Schütz Recobulk products in western Europe. Each Duo Emballages site specialises in different processing methods and packaging types. The company was founded in 1996 by Thierry and Hervé Obaton in Willems, near Lille; since then it has opened a branch in Arras, followed by a subsidiary in Compiègne and a production facility in Castres. HCB www.schuetz.net www.duoemballages.com