Fres-co coffee packaging approved for NexTrex recycling programme
Image: Pexels/Justus Menke
Fres-co System USA, Inc., a single-source provider of flexible packaging solutions, has partnered with Trex Company, the world’s largest manufacturer of wood-alternative decking and railing, to further embrace its commitment to sustainability with its flexible coffee packaging. Fres-co System USA, Inc. submitted its recycle-ready, all polyethylene gusseted retail coffee package, Nextpak, to Trex for assessment for the NexTrex Recycling Program, a sustainability initiative focused on sourcing, collecting, and assessing polyethylene film materials for use in the making of Trex’s high-performance composite decking.
This Fres-co coffee package, along with Fres-co’s innovative degassing valve, received certification for recyclability in the NexTrex Recycling Program. As a complete solutions provider for flexible coffee packaging, Fres-co provides both packaging materials and machines to enable seamless commercialisation for its customers. The NexTrex certification makes Fres-co System USA, Inc. the first single-source flexible packaging provider to have an ultra-high barrier package with a near-zero oxygen transmission rate (OTR) certified in the programme.
“Fres-co is proud to continue advancing our sustainable packaging portfolio with the first ultra-high barrier coffee bag that is certified for the NexTrex recycling stream,” said Ileana Tovaglieri, CEO at Fres-co System USA, Inc. “This innovation offers our customers the ability to upcycle their consumers’ single-use coffee bags into long-lived construction products, all without any compromise to shelf life or venting performance.”
In a recent one-year shelf-life study, the Fres-co coffee package was shown to demonstrate no discernable difference in oxygen ingress compared to a legacy foil package. In the future, Fres-co is committed to developing more uncompromising sustainable package offerings and partnering with companies like Trex, who are making recycling widely accessible.
The NexTrex label assures consumers that they have the option to recycle packaging at grocery and retail store drop-off locations all over the United States. As one of the largest recyclers of polyethylene plastic film in North America, Trex upcycles approximately 450 million pounds of plastic film, bags, and wraps annually in the making of its decking. Over the past 30 years, the company has diverted more than 5 billion pounds of polyethylene plastic film from winding up in landfills.
The NexTrex Recycling Program makes it easy for brands to participate in its sustainability efforts. Unlike other recycling labels, the NexTrex label is available at no cost to brands whose packaging has been tested and verified as acceptable for recycling into Trex decking, which boasts warranties ranging from 25-50 years. Trex also works with brand owners and companies to encourage promotion and participation at the retail level. As one of the largest store drop-off programmes in the country, Trex offers a nationwide infrastructure of store drop-off collection bins and positions signage in stores to drive awareness and engagement in the plastic drop-off programme.
“By giving recycled plastic film a second life as high-performance, low-maintenance composite decking, Trex is providing a solution to manufacturers’ plastic waste concerns,” said Dave Heglas, senior director of supply chain excellence for Trex Company. “Our free package testing and labeling initiatives are intended to encourage more manufacturers to participate in the NexTrex programme, while ensuring that the plastic material we are collecting meets our high standards for production.”
To qualify for the certified NexTrex label, product packaging must be tested and validated by Trex, meeting the following three stages of testing: (1) package/film recyclability, (2) affect/risk of product contamination and (3) affect/risk of non-recyclable “look-a-like” package contamination. For the last testing stage, 75% of the majority of competitive packaging in the market must also be made of polyethylene plastic to avoid confusion with non-recyclable materials.
As a complete system provider, Fres-co System USA, Inc. can assist its brand partners with machine modifications to produce this next-generation, recycle-ready bag quickly for market use, helping to make an immediate positive impact on the environment. The Fres-co team also offers onsite machine training and maintenance, a full range of advanced printing and laminating capabilities, and ongoing support as an advisor.
To learn more about Fres-co and the company’s technical innovations and services, visit fresco.com. To learn more about the NexTrex Recycling Program and packaging label initiative, visit trex.com/recycling.
