NEWS


Ceflex in-depth probe into mixed waste


The Ceflex consortium work- ing on European projects to improve recycling of flexible packaging is conducting a detailed study with partners into waste streams. Initial results from the UK show a significant quantity of recyclable plastics remain unrecovered in mixed packaging waste streams. The study is Europe’s first in-depth analysis of its kind, analysing the amounts and types of post-consumer flexible and rigid plastic packaging in the two main waste streams in which it is collected. It involves researchers manually sorting, identifying and weighing samples, then attributing waste to nearly 200 categories. The team maps where packaging appears in the recyclables or residual waste streams and uses near-infrared (NIR) technology to identify polymer types. The waste includes wrap,


bags, pouches, bottles, trays and more. Fieldwork at two Suez sites in the UK took place in December 2020


Corplex grows in


recycling Plastics extruder Corplex has further expanded into recycling by acquir- ing French recycler GeboPlast. GeboPlast, formed in


Researchers are using NIR scanners to identify plastic materials


and work on samples of waste from France, Germa- ny, Italy, Netherlands, Poland and Spain is sched- uled to take place in the spring months this year. In the first part of the UK


research: 4,595 kg of material was manually sorted and categorised, of which 3,240 kg was residual waste and 1,355 kg was separately collected recyclables; more than 66.5% of flexible packaging found in the residual waste samples was categorised as recycle-ready mono-materi-


al – this includes mono-PE, mono-PP, mono-PET, mono-paper and mono- aluminium. Ceflex says these initial


results show that “currently there is a significant amount of ready-to-recycle flexible packaging appearing in residual waste samples, where it unlikely to be successfully returned to the economy and used again”. Partners in the study are


PCEP, Petcore Europe, Styrenics Circular Solutions and MORE Recycling. � https://ceflex.eu


1977, has two sites in Alsace in northern France, which process around 15,000 tonnes/year. It specialises in a number of recycling activities, includ- ing shredding, pelletising, densification and compounding. The company will now operate under the name Corplex Recycling. “Through this acquisi-


tion, we confirm our vision to accelerate the transition to a circular economy for plastics,” said Lucas van der Schalk, CEO of Corplex. The acquisition means


that Corplex now has eight sites. Both of the new Alsace sites are qualified for the recycling of plastics including PE, PP, polystyrene and polycarbonate, says the company. � www.corplex.com


Multiple-choice compounds concept


Swedish compounder Polykemi and its subsidiary Rondo Plast have launched the Complus Concept which gives customers multiple choices of several materials, based on both virgin and recycled raw materials. The com- pounds all have similar properties but are adapted for different injection moulded parts within an assembled product, says Polykemi.


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After making an initial material choice for a part, an injection moulder may find the conditions change during a project, it says. On these occasions, the customer is able to choose another material from the Complus Concept, without having to modify, change or even produce a new mould, which saves time and money. Project Manager Johan Svenmo


PLASTICS RECYCLING WORLD | March/April 2021


says: “Our new concept gives the customers an incredible flexibility even far into a project, and the choice of materials can be adapted during the development work without the costs increasing dramatically.” The first uses of the Complus


Concept will be with Polykemi’s PP and then with PC/ABS and PA. � www.polykemi.com


www.plasticsrecyclingworld.com


IMAGE: CEFLEX


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