A new directive on tethered caps by the European Union (EU) will make plastic caps and bottles inseparable from July 2024. Throwaway plastic products like caps are small and easy to lose, often ending up as litter on the streets. The new directive aims to create a habit of efficient collecting and recycling of plastic across the union.

ECOPET, a Polish packaging company, is creating one of the first plants in Poland to produce tethered caps. ECOPET appointed Arup alongside UNISM architecture studio to design their new cap production plant in the spa town of Naleczow.   

Arup provided structural, mechanical, electrical and public health (SMEP) engineering as well as geotechnical consulting, author’s supervision services and road infrastructure design services for the 2,800m2 plant, which includes a warehouse and office space. We were tasked to deliver a pleasant and healthy environment for employees across the production plant – in the office area as well as in the production hall and warehouse. 

Our engineers developed a design concept to maintain the healthy indoor environment by ensuring the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems not only serve their purpose but help to create a well-balanced design suitable for a contemporary workplace. Focused on optimising the interior design, our specialists blended the complex HVAC systems within special openings in structure elements such as precast structural beams.  

The new ECOPET factory in Poland - we used virtual reality to visualise the factory

Our client wanted to design a pleasant and healthy environment for employees across the production plant – in the office area as well as in the production hall and warehouse.  

Digital design

Virtual reality (VR) goggles facilitated the communication between engineering and non-engineering teams, enabling designers to show how different systems will function and harmonise with the interior when the plant opens its doors. Using digital tools such as Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Revit software, Arup’s team confirmed the absence of collision points between structures and installations. Our specialists created a 3D model of the plant and automated a range of  design processes including the design for the HVAC installation openings and reinforcement modelling, which sped up collaboration, shortened the project schedule and allowed for more precise designs. The 3D model also served as a guide for the general contractor during construction.