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