We are happy to announce that Enval, the company making previously unrecyclable packaging valuable and environmentally responsible, has appointed Jeremy Blake as part of its senior management team, in charge of operations and  accelerating the business’ strong growth.

As many of you know, Enval uses a unique proprietary pyrolysis  technology for treating low-density packaging waste. By applying cutting-edge innovation to packaging recycling, Enval is paving the way for environmentally responsible packaging solutions.

Jez, as he is widely known in our industry, joins Enval to lead the company’s operations department, bringing with him over 10 years’ experience in the circular economy sector. Prior to joining Enval, he worked at Viridor, where he was the Head of Recycling Assets specialising in polymers.  Jez has a demonstrated history of working at the intersection of renewables and environmental technologies, plus has a strong dedication towards implementing sustainable solutions for pressing issues such as plastic waste. These skills make him a crucial addition to the Enval team, at a time when an increasing number of FMCGs, plastic producers, packaging companies and waste handlers are looking for game-changing solutions to tackle plastic waste issues.

Whilst welcoming Jez to Enval, Dr. Carlos Ludlow-Palafox, our CEO said: “Treating plastic better enables the recycling of valuable resources and paves the way for environmentally responsible packaging solutions. With Jez’s extensive track record in the industry, we can further empower FMCGs to strengthen profitable and sustainable brands while complying with new regulations and open up new revenue streams for our partners in the supply chain: plastic producers, packaging companies and waste handlers.”

Talking about his new appointment Jez said: “I am very excited to join Enval. The company is changing the perception of plastic and unlocking a profitable circular economy. I’m confident our solution is a game-changer for FMCGs and waste handlers. Together, we’ll contribute to a sustainable and circular future.

“I see many opportunities in food packaging innovations, as FMCGs continue to opt for solutions that prevent food waste and improve shelf life, while guaranteeing an effective and correct waste treatment of packaging. It is essential that FMCGs can continue to choose the best packaging to extend shelf life, so Enval has an important role to play in making this type of packaging circular.”

Enval, treating plastics better

Purr & Miaow and Enval announced today that Purr & Miaow have joined the “Laminates League”, the innovative recycling scheme aiming for zero waste to landfill from Purr & Miaow cat food pouches.

We use enough single-use pouches to cover the surface of the UK twice over every single day. Every year 10 billion pouches made of aluminium and plastic are sold in the pet food, baby food and drinks sectors, with a shocking rate of only 20,000 of these currently recycled. The recycling rate of pouches is 50 times worse than that of the single-use coffee cups that have lately received so much media attention. With a typical cat food owner using 1,000 pouches a year and 1.1 million cats in the UK, the scale of the issue is staggering.

On a mission to tackle this, one of the biggest environmental issues that pet owners face, Purr & Miaow launched Purr-cycle and by doing so is the first pet-food company to join the Laminates League. Purr-Cycle will operate on a not-for-profit basis, so no more pouches need go to landfill.

Pooch & Mutt founder Guy Blaskey launched the company’s sister brand Purr & Miaow on a mission to help the nation’s cats lead happier, healthier lives, but faced environmental concerns over the disposal of pet food pouches. “From our research, we know that cat owners love feeding cat pouches more than any other format, but we know that they want to have the option to recycle them. For dogs, we launched in Tetra Pak which is a more environmentally-friendly option than a can or plastic tray. However, as of yet, there aren’t widely adopted schemes for the recycling of pouches. We couldn’t in good conscience launch pouches without partnering with someone capable of recycling them” says Blaskey.

Many “Big Pet Food” brands mislead their consumers by placing a circular arrow on their packaging. This means that the producer has made a financial contribution towards recovering and recycling packaging in Europe but does not mean that the product is recycled.

It is a simple process to recycle with Purr-cycle. You can order 10 recycling bags from Purr-cycle for £9.99 by visiting www.purrandmiaow.com and will receive 10 prepaid envelopes to post pouches back directly to Enval; allowing you to recycle up to 250 pouches (only 4p per pouch). Enval, using its unique recycling solution, will separate the aluminium foil and the plastic in the pouches.

The price of £9.99 only covers the postage cost to customers, 10 Freepost envelopes back and the recycling. “We’ll make no profits on Purr-cycle” says Blaskey. “We know that people will be willing to pay for the bags, as we know that consumers are more environmentally conscious than ever before. Sales of reusable coffee cups have soared throughout the UK in recent years because people are willing to spend more if it means they can contribute to helping the environment. It’s time to stop wasting enough pouches to cover the UK two times a day and start recycling today with Purr-cycle – no profits and no waste.”

Carlos Ludlow-Palafox, Enval CEO, said: We’re delighted to welcome Purr & Miaow as the newest member of the Laminates League. We receive increasing numbers of enquiries from cat owners asking if there is a way for them to recycle the pouches that they use and we look forward to being able to reply that now there is, and that by buying products from Purr & Miaow they will be supporting a brand that really puts environmental concerns at the top of their priorities. Our aim with the Laminates League is to show local authorities, waste handling companies and material reprocessors that our technology is a reality and should be an essential part of their recycling plans. Creating integrated recycling solutions for materials that used to be trickier to deal with is what Enval is all about and we are delighted to be working with Purr & Miaow and Little Freddie, the organic baby food company, on this. These brands are offering customers a real circular economy recycling scheme for their post-consumer packaging. We hope to see many more brands follow suit.”

Premium organic baby and toddler food company, Little Freddie, and recycling specialist firm, Enval, announced today the launch of an innovative recycling scheme that is aiming for zero waste to landfill from Little Freddie’s pouches. The initiative encourages consumers to send their used pouches to Enval in a prepaid envelope, where Enval will use its unique technology to recycle each component of the pouch into materials that can go back into circulation and be used again.

Little Freddie is the first brand in the UK to offer this zero waste to landfill recycling scheme. It comes as part of the brand’s ‘Big Green Plan’ to improve the environmental impact of its great tasting baby food. The brand will be piloting the scheme for all orders taken through its website, with the aim of taking it to retail next year. Consumers can also request the post back envelope from Little Freddie.

Enval uses ground-breaking technology to separate the plastic and aluminium from the pouches and prevent them from ending up in landfill. Aluminium produced with the Enval process has a carbon footprint 72% smaller than primary aluminium, and the process reduces the carbon footprint for disposing of baby food pouches by over 90% compared to current disposal methods.

Working closely together Little Freddie and Enval aim to drive the market forward by creating easy to access recycling solutions for single-use packaging, with the long-term objective of encouraging the widespread adoption of the technology around the world.

Carlos Ludlow-Palafox, Enval CEO, comments: “We’re delighted that such a forward-thinking brand as Little Freddie sees the environment as its primary concern. Our aim with this scheme is to show local authorities, waste handling companies and material reprocessors that our technology is now a reality and should be an essential part of their recycling plans. Creating integral recycling solutions for materials that used to be trickier to deal with is what Enval is all about and we are delighted to be working with Little Freddie, which is the first brand to offer their customers a real circular economy recycling scheme for its post-consumer packaging. We hope to see many more brands follow suit.”

Jess Ainley, Sustainability Manager at Little Freddie says: “We know recycling and the environment is a key concern amongst parents. We are taking responsibility for what happens after our pouches have been used, which is why we’ve worked with Enval to make this possible as part of our ‘Big Green Plan’ to reduce our impact on the environment. We’re the first baby food brand to offer a zero waste to landfill recycling initiative but we hope we’re not the last. We want to see this rolled out across the category and made mainstream, so it is as easy as possible for consumers to recycle.”

Yesterday morning Enval was featured on BBC Radio 5 Live during segments in the Breakfast programme discussing the new UK Plastics Pact.

We are delighted with Radio 5 Live’s coverage and that they presented Enval as an example of the kinds of innovative companies that are needed to tackle plastic pollution. As the piece rightly says, we are the only company that can recycle plastic aluminium laminates, materials that already present a recycling need six times bigger, by weight, than that for coffee cups, which have been the focus of considerable public and government attention recently. You can listen to the clip here.

Regarding the UK Plastics Pact, whilst we are pleased with the announcement and encouraged that so many organisations, up and down the plastic supply chain, have decided to join, there are several points that require clarification. For example, what exactly does the Pact mean by “unnecessary and problematic single-use plastic packaging”? Who, and on what basis, will decide what is or isn’t “problematic” and even what constitutes “single-use”? A cursory analysis might suggest that the pouches and tubes that we are treating could fall into those categories. But in fact, they make a very positive environmental impact by saving huge quantities of resources over competitive packaging systems while preserving food and beverages in excellent condition – an impact which is significantly enhanced now that they can be fully recycled using our process. Proper consideration of the issues is required rather than kneejerk decisions.

We would also like to understand how this voluntary arrangement will dovetail with mandatory targets and legislation. Many people in the circular economy world have called for a full reform of the way in which brands and packaging companies take responsibility for the materials that they put into the market with some advocating that proper extended producer responsibility (EPR) legislation is the only way forward. We fervently hope that the Environment Secretary doesn’t see the UK Plastics Pact as a substitute for action and an excuse that allows the government to wash their hands of the problem and do nothing for another few years.

Likewise, we would like to urge the signatories of the Pact to ensure that the SMEs that develop new processes and solutions are listened to and supported. We have developed a viable recycling process for laminates and yet the amount of help that we received from companies that ought to be interested in our process and are signatories to the Pact, is practically non-existent. This new Pact and these headline-grabbing announcements will do little for the environment if companies like Enval are not supported by the big companies that have the means and resources to really make a difference. If the UK Plastics Pact wants to achieve something then it is time for them to “put their money where their mouth is”.