apetito has invested in a dedicated meal tray sorting facility to increase the operational capacity of its closed loop recycling scheme.
The company has now recycled over 40 million trays nationwide since it began back in 2021. First rolled out across its consumer business, Wiltshire Farm Foods, the system now operates through partnering care home and healthcare customers too.
‘Project Boomerang’ involves apetito collecting back washed meal trays directly from customers and sending them to a specialist recycling facility in the UK. The business guarantees that 100 per cent of the collected trays are recycled into brand new trays, ensuring a closed loop system and generating better results than household recycling.
The expansion announcement follows the government’s confirmation that it will be introducing an offset for closed loop recycling schemes from the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation.
Lee Sheppard, director of corporate affairs, policy and sustainability says: “We have seen continued growth and success in Project Boomerang since its inception and are extremely proud of the progress made to date. Opening this site gives us the opportunity to really drive forward this scheme and increase the volume of trays that we’re recycling from our customers, whilst continuing to reduce our carbon footprint.
“We are delighted that the government listened to industry and announced the offset for closed loop recycling systems within the EPR legislation, demonstrating its support for such schemes that align closely with its ambition to restore and enhance the environment for future generations. This support encourages us to continue building on our pioneering initiative and taking steps that we know are the right thing to do for the planet.
“Investing in this facility marks a pivotal step in this expansion and demonstrates our strong commitment to leading the way in sustainable business practice and innovation - moving towards a more circular economy on our journey to reaching net zero.”
