UK's first certificate for packaging which is both recycled and compostable to be presented at RWM

Posted: 10 September, 2013. Written by James Beard

REAL to present compostable packaging certificate to Glasgow-based Robert Cullen Ltd for innovative soft produce trays

The trays will become one of only a handful of certified compostable packaging products in the world made from recycled materials

Renewable Energy Assurance Ltd (REAL) will present the UK’s first compostable packaging certificate for a product made of recycled materials to Robert Cullen Ltd, trading as Cullen Packaging (“Cullens”), at RWM this Thursday [1]. Cullens’ soft produce trays for fruit, veg and fungi will become one of only a handful of certified compostable packaging products in the world made from recycled materials [2]. Reporters wishing to conduct interviews and take photographs are invited to attend the presentation ceremony, which will take place on the Organics Recycling Group’s exhibition stand in the Materials Village (F12) in Hall 19 at 2pm on Thursday 12th September.

The product will become certified under the European Bioplastics certification scheme for ‘products made of compostable materials’, which is managed by Berlin-based certification body DIN CERTCO [3]. ORG Technical Officer Gordon Thompson, who leads REAL’s work on compostable packaging certification, will present the certificate to David MacKinnon, Business Development for Cullens, at 2pm on Thursday 12th September at the ORG stand in the Materials Village (F12) in Hall 19.

Antonia Striewski and Marco Pagels from DIN CERTCO will be joining Gordon Thompson and the ORG team on their exhibition stand on Tuesday 10th and Wednesday 11th September. This is a unique opportunity for reporters and businesses alike to hear directly from Europe’s foremost experts how certification can help boost the marketability of compostable packaging products.

A press release with further information and photographs of the product and the presentation ceremony will be issued on the morning of Friday 13th September.

REAL’s parent company the REA will be exhibiting on Stand B12 at The Renewables Event, which is co-located with RWM. On Wednesday 11th September, REA Chief Executive Dr Nina Skorupska and Senior Policy Analyst Mike Landy will both be giving presentations in the Re:Word Theatre [4]. Also on Wednesday, REA Head of Biogas David Collins will present details of REAL’s Biofertiliser Certification Scheme, including a case study on building a successful biofertiliser business from Langage Farm in Devon, on the ORG stand at RWM [5].

Notes to editors

• Renewable Energy Assurance Ltd (REAL) was incorporated in 2006 and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Renewable Energy Association. REAL carries out a range of certification and consumer protection activities, all of which seek to facilitate consumer access to sustainable energy and resources. For more information, please visit: www.renewableenergyassurance.org.uk
   

1. RWM takes place at the NEC in Birmingham from 10th-12th September 2013. For more information, please visit: www.rwmexhibition.com
    
2. For more information about Cullens’ compostable fruit trays made of cardboard wastes, view the video on the homepage of Cullens’ website: www.cullen.co.uk/index.html
   A downloadable image of the manufacturing process is available here: www.r-e-a.net/upload/news_-_cullens_compostable_packaging_-_manufacture.jpg
   Additional images will be made available in Friday’s full press release.
    
3. For more information about the European Bioplastics certification scheme for ‘products made of compostable materials’, please visit:
   DIN CERTCO: www.dincertco.de/en/biobased_and_compostable_products.html
   European Bioplastics: http://en.european-bioplastics.org/standards/certification
   The scheme used to be operated in the UK by the Association for Organics Recycling, who last year merged with the Renewable Energy Association (REA) to become the REA’s Organics Recycling Group (ORG). This transferred responsibility for the scheme to the REA’s subsidiary company REAL.
   For more information about the merger between the REA and AfOR, please visit: www.r-e-a.net/news/afor-members-vote-to-strengthen-advocacy-for-organic-wastes-sector
   For more information about REAL’s compostable packaging certification activities, please visit: www.organics-recycling.org.uk/Compostable-Packaging-and-Plastics
    
4. The Renewables Event takes place at the NEC in Birmingham from 10th-11th September 2013. For more information, please visit: www.therenewablesevent.com
   For more information about the REA’s activities at The Renewables Event, please visit: www.r-e-a.net/news/new-rea-ceo-to-give-first-keynote-speech-at-the-renewables-event
    
5. For more information about the Biofertiliser Certification Scheme and David Collins’ presentation of the Langage Farm case study at RWM, please visit: www.renewableenergyassurance.org.uk/news