Page 36 - Packaging News Magazine July-August 2018

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BULK & INDUSTRIAL PACKAGING www.packagingnews.com.au
Taking vertical
Commencing with the first hi-tech twin wall sheet extrusion line in Australia the company has grown organically through investment in technology, diversification and ac- quisition. Today, eleven extrusion lines and a range of work centres in- cluding die cutting, sonic welding, vacuum forming and printing cater for hundreds of diverse applications.
Corex is vertically integrated with a strong focus on product whole-of- life and a closed loop program – from producing flat sheet to design- ing and making finished packaging, and then recycling.
Managing director Simon Whiteley says the move to reduce packaging where possible for consumer goods, and the push for increased recycling of used packaging, is helping to highlight the benefits of vertical integration.
“The USA has embraced vertical integration and much more can be done in Australia in this regard,” he told PKN.
“At Corex, used packaging is re- turned from customers from around Australia, recycled, and then put back into the business as raw mate- rial, resulting in saving thousands of tonnes of this valuable resource go- ing to landfill each year,” he says.
“A network of Corex bins is pro- vided to customers in flat pack, nestable pallet form. Some custom- ers buy plastic sheet while others re- quire the finished package product.
“In addition to accepting returned packaging from our customers, our recycling operation also includes polymer products from other com- pany streams, so there is an abun- dance of feed stocks,” Whitely says.
“Corex is a custodian of polymer and actively supports its reuse. It is important that we can clearly recog-
integration to
new heights
Significant productivity and environmental benefits are flowing for a plastics manufacturing company through establishment of a vertically integrated structure, writes Hartley Henderson.
ITH Australia’s growing population there is an escalating amount of plastic being produced and a significant propor- tion eventually goes to landfill. This is contribut- ing to diminishing landfill capacity as well as increases in charges for dispos-
al to landfill.
By including a recycling facility
as part of a vertically integrated op- eration, plastic packaging manufac- turers can reduce the amount of used packaging going to landfill as well as benefit the environment through reduced carbon emissions.
Based in the Melbourne suburb of Dandenong, Corex Plastics is a pri- vately owned company that employs around 120 people and produces a wide variety of customised, durable containers, including for produce
and seafood products that require additional mechanical properties such as wet strength and durability.
The company is a leader in the field of plastic sheet extrusion, and in in- novative reusable and recyclable packaging design and fabrication. Products are custom made to custom- ers’ requirements in its fabrication and design centre, and a dedicated re- cycling division has been established.
July-August 2018