By Plasteurope.com staff

US technology firm Origin Materials (West Sacramento, California; www.originmaterials.com) said it has launched commercial-scale manufacturing for PET caps and closures. According to the company, the system is an industry first and a “breakthrough” for circularity, enabling 100% PET container-to-container recycling.

The Origin CapFormer System, announced earlier this year at the North American plastics trade fair NPE, couples thermoforming with slit and fold technology and proprietary design elements. PCO 1881-compatible caps can be made using virgin, recycled, or bio-based PET, the company added.

Related: CJ Biomaterials develops PHA-based, fully biodegradable plastic bottle caps

“The industry has been searching for PET caps for a long time,” said John Bissell, co-CEO and co-founder of Origin Materials, adding that the company is “addressing a USD 65 bn caps and closures market”.

The US firm said it has already produced several million recycled PET caps, which will be available in the course of Q4 2024. “Looking ahead, we expect Origin CapFormer Systems to produce caps not only for a diverse array of beverage bottles, but food packaging, medical products.”