PET | INNOVATION


regulation (EC) 282/2008 where individual recy- clers sought authorisation, under the new regula- tions the responsibility has been passed to devel- opers, with each approved process assigned a unique Recycling Process Authorisation Number (RAN) and listed in a public register. NGR says that traditional SSP requires prolonged high-temperature processing in a vacuum, whereas the LSP process harnesses faster reaction rates in the melt phase, significantly reducing energy consumption and processing times while delivering high-quality results. The LSP process also provides a consistent increase in intrinsic viscosity (IV) levels, with precise control and stability.


Indian project Starlinger Recycling Technology has highlighted the recent commissioning of a RecoStar PET 215 HC iV+ PET bottle-to-bottle recycling system by Alpha Ecoplast at its new facility near the city of Kosamba, Gujarat, in India. The system features Starlinger’s biggest single extruder size, reaching an output of up to 2,700 kg/hr of bottle-grade rPET pellets. The line is equipped with a pre-drying unit, high-vacuum degassing, a continuous filtration system, and an underwater pelletiser. The ViscoStar SSP reactor installed at the end of the recycling process further increases the viscosity and level of decontamination of the produced pellets. The entire recycling process is based on the FIFO principle, ensuring uniform treatment of every single flake at the front end and each pellet at the back end for outstanding food- contact decontamination. The rPET pellets produced on Starlinger’s


RecoStar PET recycling lines have been approved for food-contact applications by national and international authorities such as the FDA in the US and EFSA in the EU, as well as by brand owners in the food and beverage sector. The sorting stage in PET recycling is also benefiting from innovation. “Advancements in AI are revolutionising PET sorting processes,” said Edward Kosior of Nextek. “Meeting food-grade regulations requires a 95% food-contact composi- tion, a challenge traditionally addressed by manual sorting. AI-driven solutions now offer a high-speed, low-cost alternative that enhances sorting accuracy while improving efficiency. This innovation is particularly relevant given ongoing discussions about container tagging to track recycling rates. AI-based systems, now being implemented in many Material Recovery Facilities and Plastic Recovery Facilities, could potentially replace tagging solutions, offering a cost-effective, stream- lined approach without additional labels, water-


www.plasticsrecyclingworld.com


marks, or other identifiers.” According to Amy Hooper, Innovation Manager


at UK recycler Biffa, AI, digital tracking tools, and automation, have the potential to revolutionise the processing of PET. “Growing demand for traceabil- ity across the value chain is a key trend in the waste management sector,” she said. “As such, there has been increasing interest in marking technologies such as Digital Product Passports (DPPs), fluores- cent QR codes, and digital watermarks, as well as developments in RFID and NFC technology. Alongside the evolution of these technologies are initiatives that aim to bring together stakeholders across the value chain to assess their viability technically, commercially, and environmentally. While there is still work to do, further advance- ments in identification and sortation technologies, such as AI vision systems and robotics, present excellent opportunities to enhance the processing of waste. In some instances, this will be through a focus on contamination removal, and in others it will be to recover a wider variety and larger volumes of high-value target material.”


CLICK ON THE LINKS FOR MORE INFORMATION: � www.petcore-europe.org � www.eastman.com � https://gr3n-recycling.com � www.intecsaindustrial.com � www.depoly.co � www.sheingroup.com � www.oerlikon.com � www.evonik.com � www.erema.com � https://ngr-world.com � www.starlinger.com � www.biffa.co.uk � www.nextek.org


March/April 2025 | PLASTICS RECYCLING WORLD 35


Above: A Starlinger RecoStar PET 215 HC iV+ PET bottle-to-bottle recycling


system is being used by Alpha Ecoplast at its new facility in Gujarat, India


IMAGE: STARLINGER


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