FORT WAYNE, Ind. (Inside Indiana Business): Illinois-based D&W Fine Pack is making a multi-million-dollar sustainability investment in its Fort Wayne manufacturing facility. The company, which makes a variety of packaging products for the food service, grocery and food processor markets, says the move will allow it to make products from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic.
D&W declined to provide a specific dollar figure for the investment.
The company is installing new extrusion technology, which it says will allow the plant to create FDA food grade PET sheet from plastics that would have otherwise gone to a landfill.
PET, also known as Polyethylene terephthalate, is a clear, lightweight plastic that is widely recycled, D&W said in a news release.
“We are excited to expand our capability to run up to 100% recycled material, with flexibility between post-consumer and post-industrial waste PET that conforms with FDA requirements,” said CEO Gary Rehwinkel. “The new infrastructure that we are implementing to support this initiative will allow us to streamline the process, become more efficient, and save energy. On average, the expectation is an energy savings of 29% versus conventional technology.”
The 342,000-square-foot plant employs 350 workers in Fort Wayne. A spokesperson for the company tells Inside INdiana Business plans call for up to 15 additional jobs as a result of the investment.
D&W says the new technology is expected to be operational in January.
