TC Transcontinental hopes to boost recycled content in its packaging

TC Transcontinental is creating a recycling group within its packaging unit in hopes to create a circular economy and said it also is open to acquiring a recycler.

The group will operate within TC Transcontinental Packaging and begin purchasing equipment for converting flexible plastics from sorting facilities and other sources, into plastic granules, according to a Feb. 27 news release.

The Montreal-based packaging manufacturer wants to increase post-consumer, recycled content across its flexible plastic packaging products such as rollstock, bags and pouches, coextruded films, shrink films and coatings. It serves a variety of industries, including dairy, coffee, proteins, pet food, agriculture, confectionary, fresh supermarket and frozen foods.

TC Transcontinental President and CEO François Olivier said in the release the "decision stems from our desire and that of many customers to differentiate ourselves with an offering of eco-responsible packaging products containing recycled plastic, accelerate its development and create a truly circular economy for plastic that will bring further benefits for the environment and for communities."

The packaging unit, led by president Thomas Morin, will have a team collaborating to manage and develop the purchase of recovered plastics and create local outlets for sorting and processing, the release said.

The company's aim is in accordance with objectives of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's New Plastics Economy Global Commitment.

TC Transcontinental has more than 8,700 employees based in Canada, the U.S. and Latin America. It ranked No. 32 on the most recent Plastics News ranking of North American film and sheet makers and had sales of an estimated $240 million in the region.