WASHING SYSTEMS | TECHNOLOGY


for plastics recycling and decontamination assessment. “We have already been exclusively responsible for the worldwide distribution of this patented technology since January 2021, including the operation of the pilot plant together with Cadel in Sant Vicente del Raspeig (Alicante). By acquiring the trademark rights, we are now taking the final step of integrating this process technology into our product portfolio,” explains Michal Prochazka, Managing Director of Keycycle. A partnership between Hamburg University of


Technology, ink and coatings specialist Siegwerk, and German start-up Wildplastic, has successfully completed a trial to deink plastic waste before it enters the recycling extrusion process. Deinking packaging waste prior to regranulation helps prevent packaging inks from contaminating the materials being recycled and ensures that packag- ing stays in the recycling stream. Successful deinking requires a precise combination of the right ink chemistry, detergent, and process, and Siegwerk is supporting Wildplastic in this initiative by providing the necessary expertise. Wildplastic collaborates with communities of collectors globally to collect what it calls ‘wild’ plastic from beaches, landfills, and illegal dump- sites. Currently, its focus is on sourcing LDPE, such as bubble wrap or certain food packaging. Once collected, the plastic is transported to a recycling partner who washes, melts, and processes it into granules. In 2021, Wildplastic and the Institute of Circular Resource Engineering and Management (CREM) at TU Hamburg started a cooperative research and development project, financed by the Investment and Development Bank of Hamburg to study the feasibility of improving the quality of LDPE-recyclates from post-consumer sources. Evonik is supporting this project as a cooperative partner. Evonik offers vital additives for all types of


recycling, whether the customer is focused on improving their washing, drying, reprocessing, or any other step in their process. For the wet stage,


www.plasticsrecyclingworld.com


the company has developed a series of antifoams, wetting agents, and deinking/delabelling/demetal- lizing additives. Evonik also offers a series of surfactants that will


improve sink-float separation and can also effec- tively remove undesired labels, ink, or metal from recyclable materials under the Tego Cycle WA series. The deinking additives have been used to great effect on a variety of consumer food packag- ing. Post-washing, Evonik offers dewatering aids to speed drying and reduce water weight, improving efficiency. Notably, this dewatering additive, Tego Cycle DW 210, is also biodegradable, ensuring that the process remains sustainable. “Despite recent improvements in plastic waste


streams and better recycling infrastructure across the globe, the high costs and technical challenge of yielding polymers of high enough quality, have meant only around 100m tonnes of plastic has been recycled so far,” says Alper Aksit, Marketing Manager Compounds & Circular Plastics EMEA Region. “Transforming plastic waste into valuable reusable plastic requires collaboration across the entire plastics value chain. Working closely with our partners and listening to our customers’ needs we have created initiatives like Evonik’s Circular Plastics Program, which combined with our Tego Cycle additives help speed up the plastic industry’s transformation into a fully circular economy.”


CLICK ON THE LINKS FOR MORE INFORMATION: � www.lindner-washtech.com � https://vecoplan.com � www.herbold.com � www.suez.com � https://sorema.it � www.amutgroup.com � www.retechmachine.com � www.erema-group.com � www.keycycle.at � https://cadelrecyclinglab.com � www.tuhh.de � https://wildplastic.com � www.evonik.com


July/August 2023 | PLASTICS RECYCLING WORLD 39


Above: A growing area of importance is deinking during recycling of printed packaging


IMAGE: EVONIK


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