Müller is meeting the demand for packaging made with recycled materials by securing a long-term partnership with waste management company, Biffa.
With demand for food grade recycled High Density Polyethylene (rHDPE), the agreement will see Biffa continue to supply the recycled material that’s often used to make Müller’s fresh milk bottles.
The dairy company’s existing rHDPE fresh milk bottles are already 100% recyclable and, following substantial investment from Müller to enable it to manufacture its own fresh milk packaging, up to 40% of the plastic can be made from recycled material.
The latest efforts are part of an ongoing litany of commitments and innovations to reduce its plastic usage. In 2019, for example, a lightweighting exercise removed 840 tonnes of plastic per annum from its fresh milk packaging.
Moreover, it recently became the UK’s first dairy company to offer fresh school milk with paper straws and has committed to removing all plastic straws from its products this year.
“We are more positive about the future because we’re turning our fresh milk business into a lean, agile and customer centric operation,” said Brendan Power, Commercial Director at Müller Milk & Ingredients.
He added: “Most of our packaging is made on site, not trucked in from elsewhere. So with this long term supply agreement, and our unique capability to pursue further inhouse innovation, we are able to offer our customers a leading plastics proposition.”
Chris Hanlon, Commercial Manager at Biffa Polymers, said: “We are a trusted partner for dairy manufacturers and are committed to supporting them achieve their sustainability targets with innovative, industry leading technologies.”
