COMPATIBILISERS | MATERIALS
Bright Green Plastics looks ahead
UK-based Bright Green Plastics has new ownership and is looking to continue the success of its business in compatibilised recycled polyolefin compounds. The company, based in Castleford,
West Yorkshire, was established in 1992 as a subsidiary of packaging producer Linpac. It was owned by Imerys until late 2019 when it was acquired by the investment group AIAC. The recycler rebranded from Imerplast to Bright Green Plastics to signify the start of a new era for the company. The mixed plastics waste recycled
at the Castleford facility includes PP items (such as pots, trays, tubs, paint pots, food buckets and storage boxes) and HDPE items (household cleaning bottles, water pipes and industrial ducting). PP and PE materials are recompounded with the company’s
own BrightFusion mineral compatibi- liser. This enables the recycled compounds to be used in high quality products – see article in Plastics Recycling World March-April 2019 issue about paint pots made using the company’s PE-PP compound. In May, Bibby Financial Services
provided a £6m funding facility to Bright Green Plastic to support the company’s growth goals. Steve Spencer, Director at Bright Green Plastics, said: “The new funding from BFS will provide the business with the working capital needed to continue with our expansion into Europe. We were impressed by the level of flexibility that BFS were able offer, particularly in the current climate. We’re very happy to partner with the team as we take the business into the next phase of growth.”
performance polymers were used to compatibilise PE and PP and allow them to mix in the melt, removing the need for separation. They also improved product quality for high-value applica- tions such as crates (see Plastics Recycling World, November-December 2019). Compatibilisers have a key role to play in advancing the use of recycled plastics in the circular economy, says Kraton. “Mixed plastics streams continue to be a challenge for the recy- cling industry” says Bob Hall, Senior Director, Global Marketing. “Due to the poor processability of mixed streams, it often ends up in the landfill. A major gap in current offerings is a universal, cost-efficient compatibilisation solution that could work across multiple recycling waste streams – not just polyolefinic recycling streams.” He says important issues to consider include
formulation cost efficiency and product perfor- mance. “Post-consumer resins are already at a cost disadvantage compared with virgin plastics, where the spread varies by region and by resin. The price pressure is evident, especially at times when the price of oil is below $50 per barrel. In order to address the economics of plastics recycling, it is critical to understand the value added by compati- bilisation throughout the value chain versus the additional formulation cost. Essentially, it is about
www.plasticsrecyclingworld.com
Above: Bright Green Plastics, based in Castleford, UK, changed ownership in late 2019
the value that can be captured by recyclers, compounders or converters through upcycling compared to the alternative of landfilling the mixed streams.”
Despite growing consumer interest about plastic waste issues, consumer willingness to pay a premium has its limits, he says. This in turn drives the brand owners’ position on where and how to use recyclates. “There is also the expense of achieving a completely pure recycled product cycle with equivalent quality as virgin resins, which is often well beyond what is commercially feasible. The use of compatibilisers allows slightly impure recycled products to be reused while enabling it to perform like a homogeneous resin. Achieving this would allow for lower cost in the use of recycled resin.” Kraton adds that the plastics recycling industry is a highly dynamic space with rapid changes driven by multiple factors. These include consumer preferences, regulatory changes, brand owners’ approach to product design, innovation through- out the plastic value chain and the influence of industry associations that will further impact the needs for recycling compatibilisers. Economics will be a key factor given the post-consumer recycling stream, where in some cases, chemical recycling can be a better alternative to mechanical recycling.
May/June 2020 | PLASTICS RECYCLING WORLD 43
IMAGE: BRIGHT GREEN PLASTICS
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48
