Leeds manufacturer to reduce plastic use with six-figure investment

A West Yorkshire manufacturer has invested more than half a million pounds in a bid to reduce plastic waste.

LVF Packaging has invested £550k on a new thermoforming machine to create hybrid packaging for its customers.

The Leeds-based company, which manufactures packaging for a host of blue-chip brands and supermarkets, has seen demand for its products soar over the last 12 months.

Nigel Coates, managing director of LVF Packaging, said: “2020 was a busy year for us, especially in terms of the higher volume lines that we produce for many of the supermarkets, and it was apparent that production efficiency on our oldest Kiefel – a KMD 75 – was falling well behind our newer KMD 78s and that the time had come to replace it.

“The new machine is our fifth KMD 78 and the third with down-stacking technology – a feature that saves us time and money during the manufacturing process.”

LVF Packaging’s business development director, Daniel Coates: “The new KMD 78 has been built with an extended frame that gives us the capability to add an extra station that would allow us to manufacture hybrid packaging solutions,” he said.

“As with all the best innovations, the hybrid packaging concept is quite simple – plastic is used only where it is needed; whether as a barrier for food contact or to enable sealing, with cartonboard the chosen material to give the tray structural strength and carry the branding and decoration.

“And as you’d expect, after use the carton board and plastic elements are easily separated for recycling.”