Radnor Hills, a leading producer of mineral waters and soft drinks, has been awarded a grant to further its commitment to reduce its impact on the environment.
The Powys based company has used a grant from WRAP Cymru’s Circular Economy Fund to part finance a new filler for its production lines which can produce 100% rPET products alongside their existing portfolio.
RPET, or recycled polyethylene terephthalate, is made of recycled PET that comes from people recycling their plastic bottles and containers. The beauty is that it can be recycled over and over again, decreasing the amount of plastic waste that enters landfills, saving energy and reducing carbon emissions.
Radnor Hills, which was founded in 1990, supplies over 250 UK wholesalers and some of the UK’s biggest supermarkets.
The new filler is an Automatic Filling Machine for still and carbonated soft drinks. It is capable of producing 22,000 bottles per hour in a variety of different formats, including 330ml, 500ml, 750ml, 1 litre and 1.5 litres as well as being able to fit two different cap formats – plain and sports cap.
William Watkins, Managing Director and founder of Radnor Hills, said: “Our pledge to the planet is that we will constantly improve wherever we can to become more sustainable and protect the environment around us.
“Our commitment ranges from our zero to landfill on site policy to the introduction of straw-free cartons and completely recycled plastic bottles. To date, we have planted over 14,000 trees and recycle absolutely everything we possibly can.
“We are extremely grateful to WRAP Cymru for their support and generous funding. Our newly installed filler allows us to add 100% recycled plastic production into our wide portfolio of products, meaning we are further strengthening our ability to reuse the available materials in the circular system and to reduce waste.”
WRAP Cymru is supporting Wales’ shift towards a truly circular economy where waste is eliminated and resources are kept in use for as long as possible.
Huw Lloyd, Business Account Manager for WRAP Cymru said: “We are working all around the world to fight the causes of climate change to promote a more sustainable future.
“We are delighted that our Circular Economy Fund grant, funded by Welsh Government, is helping Radnor Hills with their pledge to decrease the amount of non-recycled products being used in their manufacturing.”
Radnor Hills is ISO 14001 accredited which means it meets the international standards of requirements for its Environmental Management System. The standards help businesses improve their environmental performance through more efficient use of resources and reduction of waste.
The company is also a previous winner of Made in Wales’ Sustainable/Ethical Manufacturer Award.