Coveris is a sustainable packaging company with two St Neots based sites and is taking positive environmental action to protect our planet and support its global vision of no waste.

The company develops plastic and paper packaging that provide the most eco-efficient packaging solutions that help protect the products.

Eighteen of its 29 global sites are located in the UK, many of which are based in Cambridgeshire.

The Hunts Post: A view of one of the St Neots Coveris sites found on Cromwell Road.A view of one of the St Neots Coveris sites found on Cromwell Road. (Image: Coveris)

With packaging often perceived as waste, Coveris said that its real value is often overlooked. It has a clear purpose in preventing food waste and keeping vital products fresh, safe, and hygienic.

Coveris has worked for some of the world's most respected brands, helping to take action to reduce, reuse, replace and recycle packaging.

Reduce

Unnecessary packaging is often used on products that deliver no benefit.

Packaging is necessary to protect and prolong a product's shelf-life, but Coveris is working hard to reduce the unnecessary packaging that is also included.

Coveris aim to achieve this through minimised use of lightweight materials combined with innovative shelf-life technologies to keep food fresh for longer, reducing food waste.

For example, Coveris' new packs for Tesco grated cheese has replaced a non-recyclable plastic laminate with a new fully recyclable film that offers a shelf-life of 90 days alongside a 15% plastic weight saving of around 1g of plastic per bag.

Removing the current hard-to-recycle plastic and switching to the new material is expected to move around 411 tonnes of plastic into a dedicated recycling stream annually.

Reuse

Coveris is not only a packaging manufacturer but also an award-winning recycler for both paper and plastics.

With a new UK Plastics Packaging Tax coming in April, 30% of recycled content will be required for all plastics packaging, increasing its value as a reusable resource and scaling up recycling infrastructure to keep it in the circular plastics economy for longer.

Coveris’ award-winning Duralite™ R multipack film is a robust, recyclable film containing 100% recycled plastic.

The Hunts Post: Coveris worked with Highland Spring to produce this limited edition 100% recycled Eco-Pack range packaging.Coveris worked with Highland Spring to produce this limited edition 100% recycled Eco-Pack range packaging. (Image: Coveris)

Available across many leading soft drink multipacks throughout the UK, Coveris has recently worked with Highland Spring to develop a limited-edition 100% recycled Eco-Pack range, trialled in Sainsbury’s stores.

Replace

Coveris make both plastic and paper packaging, recommending the most sustainable solution for the job. There is often the view that cardboard is more sustainable, but this is not always the case as it may weigh more and require more resources to produce, leaving a bigger carbon footprint.

An example of a positive switch to a replacement material is Coveris’ new ClipLid cardboard food trays.

Available for selected sushi lines in several major retailers, these innovative new packs reduce plastic by switching from an all-plastic tray to a lightweight lined cardboard base that is sustainably sourced and fully recyclable.

Recycle

Coveris believes all packaging should be reusable or recyclable by 2025 or sooner and is supporting this by moving to simpler, easier-to-recycle materials.

However, to ensure recyclable packaging is recycled, significant investment and upscaling of UK recycling infrastructure needs to happen.

The upcoming plastics packaging tax will help fund this, but the UK still has a long way to go.

Coveris’ new award-winning RecyclaLite sandwich packs, produced at its factory here in St. Neots, have recently launched with M&S and feature 40% less plastic than a typical sandwich pack.

The lightweight packs improve recycling by reducing the amount of plastic and making the packaging materials more easily separable.

The Hunts Post: A machine used in Coveris sites across the UK and Cambridgeshire for plastic extrusion, a high volume manufacturing process.A machine used in Coveris sites across the UK and Cambridgeshire for plastic extrusion, a high volume manufacturing process. (Image: Coveris)

Coveris is committed to doing everything it can to achieve a zero net waste balance at all its production sites.

They believe that fighting waste in all its forms, including litter and landfill, is the driving force of a more sustainable future.

The company is keen to hear the views and ideas of the public and ask to get in touch with one of the local representatives today to find out how they can help you.

For more information, visit https://www.coveris.com/.