INNOVATION | RIGID PACKAGING
Right: BoReTech PP washing system in operation
in Venta de Baños has a footprint of just 0.28 kg of carbon equivalents per kg, 85% lower than virgin HDPE. The analysis covers the collection and sorting of post-consumer HDPE bottles (primarily in Spain), their shipment to the Alpla recycling plants, and their washing and processing into rHDPE pellets. The two plants currently have a capacity of approxi- mately 25,000 tonnes/yr. When it comes to recycling HDPE, Alpla focuses on colour sorting, which maintains high-quality HDPE recycling streams, preserves colour streams, and keeps packaging in the loop for an extended period. Turning blue HDPE into blue rHDPE, for example, reduces the use of colour pigments while preventing commingling and greying of the material. This enables Alpla to meet many of its customers’ marketing requirements and produce examples of fit-for-purpose, coloured packaging. Recycling technology companies are playing a
part in helping companies produce high-quality recyclate from rigid packaging waste. Marina Matta, Team Leader in Coperion’s Process Technology Engineering Plastics department, provides some insight into what compounding and extrusion specialists are doing: “Coperion recognises a need for better quality at higher throughputs and has developed a range of technologies to meet this demand. Coperion K-Tron feeding solutions can accurately feed additives, fillers, and strengtheners, ensuring precise recipe control, while the ZSK extruders disperse and homogenise the melt to improve the quality of the product. In the extruder, stripping agents can be used to degas volatile components such as water and odorous substanc- es under vacuum. With the help of our Contifresh system, the granulate can be further treated to remove additional odorous substances and VOCs. Together, these technologies make it possible to increase the proportion of recyclate used in the production of high-quality plastics.” Taiwanese company BoReTech, which started in 1989 as a PET recycler, has provided a 2,000 kg/h PP tray washing line for one of its customers, Re-mall. Relying on the R&D advantages and production experience of BoReTech combined with Re-mall’s background in polymers, the project solved the PP hot washing problem of suspension, removing rPP odour, and enhancing the yield rate. The rPP from this system is particularly high-quality, with fewer black spots and high transparency. To date it has been used in applications such as chemical packag- ing, auto parts, and non-woven fabrics. The recycling industry and its technology suppliers are striving to improve recycling of rigid
56 PLASTICS RECYCLING WORLD | September 2022
packaging. But there needs to be a concerted effort in this area from brand owners, says Ed Kosior. “To make better use of plastic packaging waste the world needs to help recyclers turn it back into high quality recycled mono-polymers that can be re-used in new products. The likes of Aldi trialling the removal of the green caps from its British semi-skimmed standard milk in favour of clear ones is precisely where brands and retailers need to be setting their sights. More thinking needs to be dedicated to making products that can be recycled simply and productively. That means re-configuring ‘difficult to recycle’ packaging and optimising both design and polymer composition. Brand-owners who package and sell products need to be made responsible for the environmentally-sound manage- ment of the packaging at the end of its life.”
CLICK ON THE LINKS FOR MORE INFORMATION: �
www.nextek.org �
www.nextloopp.com �
www.lyondellbasell.com �
www.loreal.com �
www.mannokpack.com �
https://robinsonpackaging.com �
www.plasticsrecyclers.eu �
www.berryglobal.com �
label.averydennison.com �
https://recyclass.eu �
www.aptar.com �
www.alpla.com �
www.coperion.com �
www.bo-re-tech.com
www.plasticsrecyclingworld.com
IMAGE: BORETECH
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