Plastic off-cuts transformed into water purification items

BERRY Superfos has revealed plastic off-cuts from its packaging manufacturing which can’t be reused on site are being turned into useful items including components that biologically purify water used in aquaculture.

Most plastic off-cuts from production at the company’s Randers facility go back into production. Any material that is unsuitable for this enters the recycling stream. The off-cuts are treated at a nearby plastic recycling company and the reprocessed plastic is then purchased by industrial plastic producers who turn it into valuable plastic products.

One producer is Danish firm Dania Plast, which manufactures injection moulded components in PP (polypropylene) for industrial use, including bio-media items sold under the brand name RK BioElements. RK BioElements serve as biological filter media for water purification in aquaculture and water treatment, primarily sold to recirculated land-based fish farms. These apply the principle of recirculation by cultivating fish in closed water systems.

“The RK BioElements biologically clean the water for recirculation, so our products contribute to a better environment plus reduced water and energy consumption,” said Morten Primdal, CEO of Dania Plast. “In light of our products’ purpose, it makes absolute sense to use recycled plastic material in their manufacture so that we also support the circular economy.”

Hanne Bloch Andreasen, Berry Superfos Randers’ site manager, added, “It is satisfying to know that any plastic we cannot use can turn into something as smart and environmentally conscious as the RK BioElements. We are always happy to contribute to a more circular economy, which is a critical part of Berry’s Impact 2025 sustainability strategy.”