After successful phase one trials, Essentra Components has announced a number of products within its LDPE range are now manufactured almost entirely from recycled materials.

The selected products are made from 98% recycled plastic with the remaining 2% being made up of colourants. The selected product range consists of tapered caps and plugs, corner protectors, tube end plugs and tube end caps in what is described a significant step forward in sustainability and carbon reduction.

The products are part of a two-phase project that aims to increase as many of Essentra Components’ LDPE range from the current up to 50% composition to the new 98% composition. Phase two of the project is currently undergoing quality assurance testing and is expected to be released in the coming months.

The new milestone is the latest in a series of sustainability test success, with Essentra Components recently announcing its core LDPE range has seen its recycled material content increase from up to 40% to up to 50%. The new range is already available to customers and will be manufactured primarily in Essentra’s Kidlington factory in Oxford, UK.

Richard Sederman, Strategy and M&A Director at Essentra Components reiterated the importance of the achievement for the wider industry: “LDPE is one of the most widely used resins on the market, used to make everything from plastic bottles to plastic bags. However, these products are often readily disposable, creating a considerable volume of waste. Using recycled LDPE is a vital step towards circularity, helping the whole industry reduce its carbon footprint, and develop the materials of the future.”

Richard added: “By demonstrating that core products can be manufactured from 98% recycled material without any loss of performance, we hope the wider market continues its investment in the development of recycled materials and products.”