RKW Invests in New Line in Finland

Frankenthal (Germany)/Pori (Finland), August 31, 2020 - RKW continues to pursue this path by reusing plastic waste in high-quality films. A new five-layer line at RKW's site in Pori, Finland, and new formulations from the application technology department enable the production of high-quality films with an increasingly higher proportion of regranulates.

The RKW Group, one of the world's leading manufacturers of film solutions, is intensifying its efforts to reduce plastic waste. A new five-layer line at RKW's site in Pori (Finland) produces lawn and garden films with a high share of recycled content – among this also post-consumer recyclate (PCR). "Our customers are delighted with the quality, feel and appearance of the products," says Pekka Saariluoma, Director of RKW's site in Pori (Finland).

However, RKW is not yet satisfied with the current share of recycled material from post-consumer waste, even if this is currently the industry benchmark. "We aim to increase the share of recycled PCR material while not sacrificing on the materials’ qualities," says Saariluoma. Lawn and garden films have to provide an outstanding printability, high opacity and a high puncture resistance, among others.

Plastic waste from the end-consumer sector has been processed for a long time. However, the quality requirements are not so high here, as they are mainly used to manufacture garbage bags, for example. The production of high-quality films – like the RKW’s lawn and garden films – with a very high proportion of PCR places high demands on development and application technology, which RKW meets with great commitment.

A further line of this kind is planned for RKW’s site SFE in Ville le Marclet, France, in the near future, where RKW produces films for food and beverage packaging.

The RKW Group is an independent, privately owned company headquartered in Mannheim, Germany and one of the world’s foremost manufacturers of excellent film solutions. RKW is the market leader in the areas of hygiene and agricultural films, films for the beverage industry and packaging for powdery goods. In addition, the company makes films and nonwovens for medical applications, for the chemical and converting industries as well as for the construction sector. RKW’s sustainable films enable its customers to improve the daily life of consumers all over the world. In the fiscal year 2020, RKW generated total sales of EUR 784 million. About 3,000 employees process 350,000 metric tons of plastic materials at 19 locations around the world. True to the corporate slogan “When excellence matters”, the company, which was founded in 1957, offers outstanding performance in terms of quality and service. Respect and reliability are the core values of RKW and form the basis of the company’s success.

Tags: