In this whitepaper, we interview James Gardiner of Natural Resources Ltd (NRL). He discusses how new technology can allow pulp paper to provide an alternative to plastic in the manufacture of bottles and other packaging. James also explores how social concerns and new regulatory drivers are helping to promote a more energy-efficient and cost-effective manufacturing process and reduce the amount of plastic ending up in the environment.
NRL aims to create a new and competitive alternative to single-use plastic containers. Having advanced with the development of an energy efficient container moulding process, the goal is to produce a product that can be recycled readily but will also be biodegraded safely and rapidly at the end of its life.
The twenty-fold increase in the production of plastics over the past 50 years, and the evidence that there could be as much as 155 million tonnes of plastic entering the oceans by 2025, is driving the need for NRL’s innovation. With InnovateUK funding the project, there has already been a substantial amount of work on bottles for soft and alcoholic drinks for companies including Britvic and another major brand owner in this space.
