Closed Loop recycles Royal Parks runners' bottles

Liz Wells, packagingnews.co.uk, 10 October 2008

 

Closed Loop was on hand to ensure the first Royal Parks Foundation half marathon, which took place on Sunday (12 October), was environmentally friendly by recycling runners' drinks bottles back into food grade plastic.

 

It was anticipated that more than 130,000 plastic drinks bottles would be distributed to the 12,500 runners during and after the 13.1 mile race, including 120,000 specially designed 330ml PET water bottles donated by Marks & Spencer, which were distributed at six water stations throughout the course.

 

Closed Loop worked with event organisers Limelight Sports to 'close the loop' on the waste bottles and recycle them back into rPET suitable for use as plastic drinks bottles and other food grade plastic packaging.

 

The bottles were collected from the course, emptied of residual water then delivered direct to the recycling plant in Dagenham.

 

Closed Loop Recycling managing director Chris Dow said: "This will be the first time that a half marathon has been able to close the loop in terms of plastic bottle recycling.

 

"Without our Closed Loop Recycling facility, these bottles would end up in landfill and the knock on effect in terms of carbon emissions would be huge."