Palpa News - HoReCa March 2015

11.03.2015

Finnish return rates for deposit-based beverage packages are very high and top class in international comparison. We at PALPA would like to thank all Finns for environment friendly and conscious behaviour.
Return rate was 97 % for deposit based beverage cans, 92 % for plastic bottles and 89 % for recyclable glass bottles. Return rate for refillable glass bottles administered by Ekopullo Ry was 97 %.

Renewed PALPA sorting and return instructions

The sorting and return instructions are updated at the beginning of March. The instructions are more detailed now and gives more attention to the correct way of sorting and packing the returns. The information package regarding PALPA returns and refunds is also updated. You can find the new materials here:

Sorting instruction

Instruction for manual return of cans and plastic bottles

Instruction for manual return of glass bottles

Ordering instruction for packaging materials

Information package regarding PALPA returns and refunds

Glass bottle recycling

We have included in our recent newsletters brief recycling stories of each package type recycled by PALPA. In this newsletter we cover recyclable glass bottles.

The deposit glass bottles are collected from return locations in two ways; using direct recycling transports and backhauling transports of beverage distributors. When the beverage distributor collects the container, it’s first transported to distribution centre and further to handling centre where the container is emptied and washed to be ready for new delivery to a store or restaurant. When the direct transport is used, the container is emptied and rinsed at the store loading dock and the glass is transported directly to the recycling plant.

It is very important that the glass containers are packed only with beverage bottles made of glass. Even a small amount of porcelain or ceramics can contaminate large quantity of bottles and harm the glass recycling. Also many glass dishes (e.g. pints) are made of non-recyclable glass material. The glass bottles that are emptied from the containers at the handling plants are transported to the recycling plant. All the glass bottles collected by PALPA are recycled in Finland. At the recycling plant the bottles are crushed, cleaned and colour sorted. The caps and labels are removed. The clean and sorted glass is used as raw material for bottles, glass wool and foamed glass.

Palpa News - HoReCa November 2014

17.11.2014

PET-bottle recycling

We will include in our newsletters this year brief recycling stories of each package type recycled by PALPA. In this newsletter we cover recyclable plastic bottles.

Deposits circulate with ease

PALPA handle and credit about two million electronic return receipts a year. This process a turns over approximately 300 million euros in deposits. Credit notes are created and dated twice a month, on the 15th and the last. The payment term is 21 days and PALPA pays the credit amounts automatically to the return locations bank account. The crediting process consists of large amounts of data and money. Therefore the process needs to be reliable and as automatic as possible for both PALPA and the return locations.

In year 2014 so far in average 99,8 % of all returnreceipts can be credited without manual intervention. Only 0,2 % require manual error checking. This means in practise that all reported return receipts can be handled and credited during the same crediting period.

Sorting of returns

Returned beverage packages from all three recycling systems must be sorted and packed to separate transport units.Every unit must be marked with PALPAs identification sticker. Stickers can be ordered on PALPA Extranet or by e-mail: asiakaspalvelu@palpa.fi.

Please ensure that you have enough stickers and the sorting - and return instructions readily available.By sorting correctly you'll ensure the maximum recyclability.

More news on Palpa.fi

Palpa News - Importers and breweries October 2014

24.10.2014

*) Recyclable glass bottle marked with Palpa's deposit symbol ' 0,10 € ' and the national barcode.

The recycling fee for beverage cans will decrease by 0,136 cents. The change in recycling fee is due to favourable development in aluminium recycling market including the market price outlook. PALPA has also improved the efficiency of logistics by increasing the baling plant network. The recycling fees for plastic bottles will remain on the same level as in 2014. The market situation for recycled PET material is challenging and lower material prices have reduced the income of the recycling system. PALPA has been able to compensate the market effect by improving efficiencies in handling and logistics network. The share of bottle returns via reverse vending machines has increased and saved counting and processing costs. PALPA has also improved the efficiency of logistics by increasing the plant network. The recycling fees for glass bottles will remain on the same level as in 2014. The return location network was expanded in 2012 and the consumers are gradually shifting their bottle returns to this wider network. This development reduces the return volume streams and adds the costs of the recycling system. PALPA has
been able to meet this challenge by increasing the logistics plant network, continuously developing the direct collection and improving the recognition of non-deposit glass bottles. The sales revenue of collected glass bottles does not compensate the recycling system costs to the same extent as in other recycling systems within PALPA. The Finnish consumers are still returning all beverage containers with excellent return rates that are world class in international comparison.

The new prices are available also on PALPA web site Material bank:

Beverage can prices

Recyclable plastic bottle prices

Recyclable glass bottle prices

Further information: Managing Director Pasi Nurminen, tel. +358-9-86898665.

Palpa News - HoReCa June 2014

09.06.2014

Suomen Palautuspakkaus Oy (PALPA) is standardizing the deposit markings on beverage packages.
Deposit based aluminium cans will in the future have the same oval shaped deposit marking as now used on petand glass bottles. During the transition period there will be cans on the market with either the new or the old deposit marking.

Beverage can recycling

We will include in our newsletters this year brief recycling stories of each package type recycled by PALPA.
In this newsletter we start with beverage cans.

The beverage cans returned from Finnish return locations are transported first to distribution centers and further to baling stations. The cans returned in manual return sacks are first counted and sorted to baling. It is very important that all the beverage can sacks contain only aluminium packages. Other packages (i.e. plastic bottles) in can sacks are not directed to recycling, but contaminating the quality of recycled material.

The bales of beverage cans are transported to melting plants in UK and France. The aluminium is directed to melting furnaces and due to safety requirements that moisture limits of the bales are not exceeded. Drink residues cause cleaning issues in the transport chain, counting and baling. It can also increase the accident risk in melting.

The melted aluminium is casted in ingots which are rolled to very thin aluminium sheets. The sheet rolls are then delivered to beverage can manufacturing. All the beverage cans recycled by PALPA will become new beverage cans.

Sorting of returns

Returned beverage packages from all three recycling systems must be sorted and packed to separate transport units.
Every unit must be marked with PALPAs identification sticker.
Stickers can be ordered on PALPA Extranet or by e-mail: asiakaspalvelu@palpa.fi
Please ensure that you have enough stickers and the sorting - and return instructions readily available.
By sorting correctly you'll ensure the maximum recyclability.

Palpa News - Importers and breweries May 2014

27.05.2014

Deposit symbol change for beverage cans

PALPA has published new marking guidelines for Finnish deposit aluminium packages. The English version can be found at PALPA’s website. Please find the link below. The new deposit symbol for aluminium packages is harmonized with other recycling systems operated by PALPA (OW-PET and OWG-system). Packages with new deposit marking can be sold in Finnish market with immediate effect. Packages with old markings can be sold until 31st December 2017. During the transition period packages with both old and new markings are sold in the Finnish market. Changing the deposit symbol does not affect in package recognition in reverse vending machines and the deposit value remains the same € 0,15. Therefore change in barcode is not required when the marking is changed for existing packages.

Member and product statistics 5/2014

The number of manufacturing and importing companies that have joined deposit recycling systems operated by PALPA has grown steadily in recent years. Currently our recycling systems involve 166 different companies and there is more than 12.000 different packages registered in the systems.

Recycling system for aluminium packages: 43 companies, 1 088 packages

Recycling system for OW-PET packages: 76 companies, 1 586 packages

Recycling system for OW-glass packages: 105 companies, 9 320 packages

Lataa tiedosto: Palpa_Tiedottaa_Juomateollisuus_28.5.2014.pdf