Christeyns Food Hygiene has invested in a new dedicated Re-Use Centre at its Warrington site, giving food, dairy and beverage manufacturers greater capacity to return used packaging containers to circulation while reducing waste and associated carbon impacts.

The 9,000 sq ft facility at Winwick Quay, England, has been designed specifically for the professional washing and re-use of intermediate bulk containers (IBCs). By cleaning and returning containers to the supply chain, the operation extends their usable life and reduces reliance on single-use packaging.

Christeyns Food Hygiene (CFH) has operated a container re-use programme for more than 20 years, collecting customers’ used IBCs and 200-litre drums before washing and circulating them for further use. Increasing demand has now prompted the company to expand the operation.

Following a review of its operational requirements and expected growth over the next five years, CFH acquired a new warehouse at its Warrington base and redesigned the re-use operation within the dedicated facility.

The centre increases re-use capacity by 50%, while its design allows additional capacity to be introduced as demand grows. Existing equipment has been retained where appropriate and combined with new technology, data capture and analytics designed to meet current industry standards.

For manufacturers, the development provides a more structured route to incorporating reusable containers into hygiene and chemical supply chains. Extending container life can help reduce packaging waste while potentially lowering the material and environmental impacts associated with repeatedly purchasing new containers.

The facility also forms part of CFH’s wider energy strategy. Solar panels have been installed on the roof, with the electricity generated by these panels and those on another site building expected to fully power the electric vehicle charging stations across the Warrington site.

“We are delighted with the new Re-Use Centre, which will have a huge impact on our operations,” says Delme Tudor, engineering manager at CFH. “By extending the life of every container, we’re minimising single-use plastics and helping our customers operate more sustainably.”

The investment reflects a wider shift towards circular approaches within food manufacturing supply chains, where the focus is moving beyond waste treatment towards keeping materials, packaging and equipment in use for longer.

For food, dairy and beverage manufacturers using detergents, disinfectants and other hygiene products supplied in bulk containers, the expanded programme offers an opportunity to build re-use more directly into their procurement and waste-reduction strategies.

CFH specialises in the design, manufacture and installation of cleaning and disinfection systems, alongside the formulation of detergents and disinfectants for the food, dairy and beverage industries. It is part of the Belgian family-owned Christeyns group.