WASHING | TECHNOLOGY
standards” in material purity, redefining the recyclate quality for the cosmetic and personal care sector. Interestingly, the company says the technol- ogy could also open up other complex areas of application. In Charleroi, Belgium, a joint venture between
recycler Veolia and mineral water producer Sources Alma has delivered a PET bottle recycling plant harnessing Krones technology and dedicat- ed exclusively to PET bottles. After trials, the plant went into operation in January 2023 and has been running at full capacity since August 2023. The heart of the line is the MetaPure W-PET washing module, which provides pre-treatment, a caustic wash, and a hot post-wash. The bottles arrive at the facility in compressed
bales. A large rotary drum screen separates the materials into fractions, after which further sorting removes other contaminants such as labels. The sorted PET bottles are then shredded and passed through the washing module. “In the first stage of washing, inside the pre-washer, the flakes are rinsed with water in order to remove coarse soiling such as bits of labels or beverage residues,” said Plant Manager Mélanie Gregoire. “The PET flakes
are then washed with an 85° C combination of water and caustic soda to remove any remaining contamination.” The PET flakes go through this process twice
before moving on to the rinse tank, where remain- ing label material is removed. After the final hot water washing, the flakes pass through mechanical and thermal dryers. The mechanical dryer uses high-speed spinning while the thermal dryer blows
Above: Krones’ MetaPure W-PET washing module provides pre-treatment, a caustic wash and a hot post-wash
IMAGE: KRONES
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