Sustainable Solutions
Enhancing the lifecycle of plastic materials
We truly understand what an incredible and valuable resource plastic is. For many products that we use in our everyday lives, plastics are an essential material that makes them lighter, stronger, safer, more durable, more flexible or more resistant. Just think of the fuel efficiency benefits plastics bring in your car, how they keep food fresher for longer, or how they are easy to clean to ensure items such as toys and surfaces in your home stay free from bacteria.
In addition to these benefits, most plastics are also recyclable enabling them to be used again as a new product. Therefore, we offer an extensive portfolio of recycled plastic compounds so that our customers can improve the sustainability profile of the products they make in addition to the existing advantages plastics bring.
Recycling Excellence
Recycling is how Ravago started over 60 years ago and has been a core activity of our company ever since. Over the years, we have developed our processes and expertise to produce the highest quality post-industrial recycled (PIR) and post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic compounds.
An extensive & growing recycled portfolio
Our portfolio contains an extensive selection of recycled compounds, including polyolefins, engineering plastics and thermoplastic elastomers. Our product range has been carefully developed over many years for use in a wide variety of markets and applications so that recycled materials can be used in even the most challenging parts.
We have strong growth ambitions for our recycled compounds, in particular we are investing and growing our production volumes of PCR compounds. Our global target is to produce over 100,000 metric tonnes by 2030.
Understanding the lifecycle of our products
With EU legislation such as the Green Claims Directive and the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive coming into force, clear and verifiable sustainability data is more important than ever before. That’s why we have conducted cradle-to-gate carbon footprint calculations on >200 of our products and determined that our recycled products have carbon footprints of up to 94% lower than their virgin equivalent.
These carbon footprint values are available upon request to our customers to help them determine the carbon footprint of their own products.
Case study: Ravapura®
Ravapura® is our brand name for our compounds containing up to 99% certified PCR content. We carefully select the best raw materials to deliver the highest quality compounds that enable our customers to meet their sustainability targets whilst benefiting from great processability, good aesthetic properties and the required mechanical performance
The portfolio contains grades for LDPE, HDPE, PP, ABS and PS.
Meeting legislation requirements
Our recycled compounds also support brand owners and OEMs in meeting legislation requirements for minimum recycled content such as those dictated by the plastic packaging taxes that are active in Spain and the UK, and the Plastic Packaging Waste Regulation and the expected End-of-Life Vehicle directive in Europe.
Recycling capabilities & expertise
Many of our manufacturing sites across Europe are equipped with state-of-the-art machines that transform waste plastics such as lumps, films, textiles, bottles and containers into flakes that are then extruded and pelletized together with any additives or fillers needed to produce a compound with specific properties and characteristics. We source a wide range of raw materials that would otherwise be sent to landfill, end up the environment or be incinerated.
Recycled products that you can trust
To ensure the quality of our processes and products, we conform to several quality standards and certifications.
RecyClass certification
RecyClass, run by Plastic Recyclers Europe, is a non-profit, cross-industry initiative that facilitates the transition toward a circular plastic future. It is quickly becoming the most requested recycled content certification in Europe.
The certification recognizes that the recycling processes for pre-consumer and post-consumer waste at a manufacturing site conforms with RecyClass’s audit scheme which is aligned with the standards for traceability of recycled plastics (EN 15343:2007) and controlled blending chain of custody (ISO 22095:2020).
QA-CER certification
The QA-CER certification scheme falls under the PolyCert Europe umbrella of certification schemes, and is an international, independent third-party system for certification of recycled content.
The certification process involves regular audits of the control systems in place at production sites to ensure accurate determination of recycled content. With 4 of our European manufacturing sites QA-CER certified, you can be confident in the percentage of recycled materials in our products.
Advocates for the circular economy
We support our customers in making the switch from virgin to recycled plastics, and product design is a critical step in that process to ensure aesthetic properties and functionality are maintained.
We help customers design their products using recycled plastics instead of virgin materials, reducing environmental impact while maintaining the required performance. We collaborate with clients to understand their specific needs and guide them with material selection and design elements that meet their application needs. Making products using recycled plastics contributes to a circular economy, waste reduction, and promoting a greener future.
We also support customers in creating plastic products that are more recyclable at the end of their life cycle. Our knowledgeable team can provide advice on incorporating design principles that enhance recyclability, such as selecting appropriate materials, simplifying product structures, and ensuring compatibility with existing recycling systems.
Other sustainable solutions
In addition to our recycled plastic compound portfolio, we also offer a range of bio-based and compostable compounds for selected applications where this is a more suitable choice of material.
RavaBio®
The RavaBio® range of bio-based and compostable polymers are bio-polyester based products designed for blown film extrusion and injection molding applications. As these materials are easy to handle and process with conventional machines, they provide a sustainable solution for customers who want to reduce their environmental impact by switching to renewable materials.
