Materials Recycling

Industrial Packaging is ideal for Re-Use and, with an established international infrastructure for collection, cleaning, repair and testing, this is by far the most environmentally and commercially efficient option.

When Industrial Packaging is no longer suitable for Re-Use, it can be easily recycled for reprocessing into secondary products, but it must first be properly cleaned.

The IPA do not support crushing of empty, uncleaned packaging as this creates significant safety issues as markings and labelling will be hidden - making any subsequent transport and treatment virtually impossible as the nature of any residues will be unknown.

The IPA network of fully licensed Reconditioners is ideal for collection, treatment and inspection of used packaging - their protocol is to clean every used container, removing hazards and contaminants, followed by inspection and test to determine viability for re-use and the correct subsequent process of either reconditioning or recycling.

This protocol ensures that all containers are cleaned - with those suitable for re-use seperated from those only fit for destructive recycling. Cleaning and inspection is critical to ensure contaminated, often hazardous, materials are removed before any subsequent reconditioning or reycling options are considered. This is often not the case when packaging is sent directly to scrap recyclers.

Industrial Packaging materials, typically mild steel, high density polyethylene and kraft fibreboard are all valuable following shredding and cleaning.

Treatments vary for each material, but the key consideration should be the removal of any contaminants to ensure safety and consistency of reprocessing.

Mild steel is easily recycled, following cleaning by IPA reconditioners, through the usual scrap metals network.

Plastics packaging for industrial products is usually High Density Polyethylene, which is also easily recycled following cleaning. These rigid plastics polymers can be shredded, washed, dried and granulated using a variety of specialist process machinery from such companies as Herbold and Rotajet Systems.

Fibreboard is easily cleaned (or for some designs the inner liner removed for seperate cleaning) and the outer casing baled or shredded for card / paper recycling.

Anyone requiring additional information on the Re-use or Recycling of Industrial Packaging should contact the IPA for specialist technical help. The IPA hold key positions on the British, European and International Standards Committees for Packaging & The Environment as well as Dangerous Goods Transport and Waste Regulations. 

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