Infrared tech monitors alarming rates of ‘rogue’ plastic in recycling
New fluid applicator for digital printing Industry News
Contiweb has launched its Digital Fluid Applicator (DFA), a standalone remoistening applicator for digital web presses, developed to significantly improve the quality of digitally printed products.
Based on the popular Contiweb Fluid Applicator for heatset web offset applications, the DFA is a user-friendly system, which uses tap water and a surfactant to intelligently and very precisely remoisten the paper on digital web presses. Silicone can also be added as an option, decidedly advantageous if inline finishing is being employed. “Common quality issues such as loss of signature flatness,
New figures from DS Smith have revealed the alarming amount of plastic waste that ends up in UK paper and cardboard recycling streams. In the last year alone, DS Smith’s Kemsley Paper Mill, the
largest recycled paper mill in the UK, measured enough plastic contamination in paper and cardboard materials bound for recycling to fill up to 4.8 million black bin bags. The stark figure, based on tests using new near infrared technology, reveals just how widespread the issue of rogue plastic is, and further highlights the importance of quality controls across the recycling industry. DS Smith introduced state of the art quality measurement
tools, including Near Infrared technology to assess the quality of material arriving from household and commercial collections. The process allows DS Smith to identify the worst offenders and proactively work with them to improve segregation and collection methods. Jochen Behr, head of recycling for DS Smith commented:
“Introducing state-of-the-art monitoring equipment at our Mill has allowed us to be forensic about the quality of material that we process in the UK. It is important that the right materials end up at the right recycling facility. We have argued for many years on the importance of quality material for recycling, and the importance of separate collections to ensure that paper and cardboard can be easily recycled, and therefore underpinning their qualities as important contributors to the circular economy.” DS Smith’s recent ‘Tipping Point’ report predicted that the UK
would miss its 2035 65 per cent recycling target by more than a decade. The report calls for policy makers to introduce separate collections of card and paper as mandatory to improve the quality of material collected for recycling.
growth of cut books, curling and broken folds are overcome with our new DFA system. Furthermore, damage on the printed surface due to friction from inline finishing modules can be overcome by the integrated siliconiser,” explained Rutger Jansen, CEO at Contiweb, adding: “There may be a perception in the market that digital inkjet printing does not require remoistening, however the process generates high temperatures during drying, resulting in significant loss of moisture and diminished quality of the printed matter, a difficulty we’ve been determined to resolve.” The Contiweb DFA mixes tap water and a surfactant within the system, which is then continuously circulated, rather than using specially treated deionised water. The amount of remoistening can be adjusted quickly to suit requirements, and due to a sophisticated control system, are steadfastly consistent. The system ensures constant coverage, even with changing press speeds, and can be set differently for each side of the paper if desired. Settings can also be saved, slashing set-up times for repeat jobs. “The Contiweb team has developed a Plug and Play system that is compatible with digital web presses from all well-known manufacturers,” concluded Jansen.
Hoffmann launch recycled tinplate packaging
Hoffmann will launch a new line of tinplate cans comprised of 100 per cent recycled steel at Interpack in May 2020. Made possible by collecting separated consumer packaging steel from standardhousehold recycling, the company’s RecyCan portfolio essentially closes the loop on sustainability through packaging that is not only completely recycled but also perpetually recyclable. All tinplate cans contain some recycled steel. At the inception of
the RecyCan process, typical household steel like used cans, closures and crown corks are collected for recycling. After steel elements are separated from aluminum and plastic packaging via magnet, they are shredded and detinned before being pressed into cubes. They are then melted down to raw steel and cast into slabs. The slabs are hot-rolled, cold-rolled and tin-plated to produce packaging steel, which can be printed and formed into fresh new tinplate packaging cans. Ideal as packaging for a variety of premium organic and specialty
products including organic infant nutrition, coffee, tea, dry or pasty cosmetics and tooth powder, Hoffmann’s RecyCan tins provide ample protection against light, air/oxygen and moisture. In addition
to being fully recycled and recyclable, the fully circular packaging solutions offer a host of other eco- friendly benefits, including the savings of raw materials. “In Europe, North America and other major markets, metal tins are synonymous with sustainability
as they are recycled in well-established recycling streams,” said Mark Aegler, CEO of Hoffmann. “The RecyCan line of products takes eco-consciousness to the next level by achieving full circularity without sacrificing product protection or branding aesthetics.”
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