Cambridge spin out Enval closes first round funding for carton recycling

Funding

Recycling specialist Enval Ltd has closed its first funding round, led by the East of England Co-Investment Fund (COIN), with Cambridge Enterprise Seed Funds, Cambridge Angels and Cambridge Capital Group. The value of the round was not disclosed.

Enval’s process can be used to recycle several different types of packaging, and is particularly suitable for plastic/aluminium laminates used in drinks cartons, toothpaste tubes and coffee pouches. The end result is 95 per cent pure aluminium, along with gases and oils that have uses including fuel and chemical feedstock.  

The company claims its proprietary technology is the first to allow complete recycling of laminate waste packaging in an environmentally and financially attractive way. It has signed contracts with two (un-named) companies to run pilot recycling programmes.

The technology uses microwave energy which can also be generated by the oils and gases generated by process, making it completely self-sustained.

Nick Slaymaker, from Cambridge Enterprise Seed Funds said, “The green tech area in which Enval operates is increasingly important and high profile, but in fact research into Enval’s technology started in 1995.  The company has a strong management team, enthusiastic shareholders and is revenue-producing.”  

Carlos Ludlow, Enval’s co-founder and chief technology officer, said no one doubted the importance and established position of the use of plastic and aluminium laminated materials in packaging. “But equally [...] the current disposal methods being used for them are unsustainable.  It’s clear to us that if the use of these packaging materials is to be continued then solutions are required to minimise their impact on the environment.”

“Using our pilot plant we’ve already demonstrated that the Enval process offers a viable solution to this enormous worldwide problem and with this funding we are now able to accelerate its deployment.”

Martin Lamb, Chairman of Enval and member of Cambridge Capital Group, commented that “Enval’s technology represents a real breakthrough in waste management and enables the continuing use of a well-established and hitherto irreplaceable packaging system for many everyday consumer products.”