Carbios secures its first multi-year contracts for enzymatically recycled PET with L’Oréal and L’Occitane en Provence—marking a step toward industrial-scale commercialization.

Carbios has signed two multi-year commercial contracts for biorecycled PET from its Longlaville plant, with L‘Oréal and L‘Occitane en Provence, and has moved forward with the execution of this future plant’s strategy.

16:9

Verpackungsmaterial

Logistik

Recycling

Umweltmanagement

Polyethylenterephthalat

Kunststoff Werkstoffe

Thermoplaste

Kunststoff-Recycling

Kunststoffverarbeitung: Verfahren

Kunststoff-Aufbereitung

Carbios Signs PET Supply Deals with L’Oréal and L’Occitane

Revalyu Resources is commissioning a second recycling plant in India. The new plant will be able to process more than 35 million used PET bottles a day.

The Indian plastics recycler has put a second PET recycling plant into operation at its site in Nashik.

Unternehmen

kunststoffe.de

Revalyu Resources Doubles Capacity

Recyclabs has developed a chemical recycling process that paves the way to recycle what was previously non-recyclable PET waste .

From left: Georg Schacht (COO), Dr. Christoph Alberti (CEO) and Dr. Stephan Enthaler (CTO).

Recyclabs has developed a chemical recycling process that paves the way to recycle what was previously non-recyclable PET waste.

Perzl, Antonia

Start up

Wirtschaft

Unternehmen und Unternehmer

“We Approach Recycling  Holistically”

The Hansgrohe Group is putting into operation the world‘s first plant for the electro-hydraulic fragmentation and material separation of electroplated plastic components.

True to the sustainability principle “Reduce, Repent, Recycle“, the handle of the hand shower of the product line Pulsify Planet Edition is made of recycled plastic.

Bautechnik, Sanitär

Technische Kunststoffe

Kreislaufwirtschaft

An Exemplary System

Audi and Fraunhofer IVV test solvent-based recycling process for PC/ABS blends. The recyclate obtained is also suitable for interior components.

Audi has set itself the goal of continuously increasing the proportion of secondary materials in the Audi fleet. For example, several components in the Audi Q6 e-tron are made from recycled materials. (Note: This does not apply to the PC/ABS described in the article).

Audi and Fraunhofer IVV make mixed plastic waste recyclable. The recyclate is also suitable for interior components.

Automotive

Fahrzeugbau

Physically Recycled Post-Consumer Recyclate from End-of-Life Vehicles

The goal of the European Union (EU) to recycle all plastic packaging in Europe in an economically viable manner by 2030 is exerting enormous pressure on the packaging industry. It is very common that packaging films are made of different materials, and this causes challenges since they are often not easy to recycle.

For these stand-up pouches, counter-printed stiff PE carrier films were laminated with sealing films with low temperature sealants 

Designing Food and Consumer Packaging for Recyclability

Kunststoffe

Photonik

Optik

Polyethylen

Standardkunststoffe

Verpackungstechnik

Can One Material Be Enough?

PET bottles can be recycled into new food packaging. Large-scale recovery systems and recycling procedures have become established since many years. PET bottles made of 100 % post-consumer recyclate are already available in the market, and a version made of renewable raw materials also exists. No other packaging plastic can show such a positive balance. Nonetheless, PET is under criticism.

Bottles blow-molded from preforms are among the products that can be produced from recycled PET; about two thirds of PET recyclates are used to produce films, secondary packaging such as strapping bands or substrates, as well as fibers, better known as fleece

Prime Material for a Circular Economy

Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)

APK AG has scaled its proprietary Newcycling technology for the recycling of post-consumer plastic waste. Flexible, multi-material packaging waste is the focus material.

Kunststoff-Rezyklat

APK Scales Newcycling Technology

Masterpress has developed polyolefin shrink sleeves for polypropylene dairy cups. Both materials can be recycled together.

Masterpress’ hybrid flexo presses where sustainable shrink sleeve label solutions are produced. 

Kunststoff-Verpackungsmaschine

Kunststoffverarbeitung: Maschinen und Komponenten

Sondermaschinen

Folien

Halbzeuge und Zwischenprodukte

Kunststoff-Halbzeuge

Two Materials, One Recycling Stream

Aimplas, Covinil and Eroski have launched the Bottle4Flex project to create fully recyclable skinpack packaging made from rPET.

Skinpack creates an invisible “second skin” around the product.

Beef steak. Fresh raw beef steak with fork and rosemary in vacuum black plastic pack on black stone background. Vacoom package. Top view. Mockup for design idea.

Tackling the Recycability of Skinpack Packaging

The SPE Automotive Awards were presented for the 22nd time in 2024. Our series highlights the award-winning components – part 3 of the series.

If you want to see the innovation of the cooling profile, you need technical help. The secret is hidden in micro-nano structures that ensure a secure and tight connection between aluminum and plastic. 

Elektromobilität

Mobilität

Streifinger, Florian

Emerging Technologies and New Mobility

Innovative leadership through forward-looking technology concepts. ENTEX Rust & Mitschke GmbH is the leading manufacturer of Planetary Roller Extruders. ENTEX owns more than 160 registered property rights for the continuously developed products and additional systems. The product portfolio also includes tempering systems and calander rolls.

ENTEX Rust & Mitschke GmbH  

https://www.entex.de

Aufbereitungsmaschinen

Biokunststoffe

Compoundieren

Duroplaste

Extrusion

Hochleistungskunststoffe

Industrie 4.0

Silikone

Temperieren

Wärmebehandlung

Verbundwerkstoffe / Werkstoffverbunde

Molds for orthoses are usually machined. That is not optimal – neither for the patient nor for the manufacturer. Within the scope of a study, Lehmann & Voss therefore investigated whether 3D printing is an alternative – both ecologically and economically.

3D-printed laminating standard for the production of CFRP orthoses.

Molds for Orthoses

Additive Fertigung

Medizintechnik

Medizinprodukte

3D-Printed, Not Machined

Alpla has invested EUR 60 million in a new recycling plant in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. From 2025, the division will produce up to 35,000 t of recycled PET per year.

Grand opening of the Alpla recycling plant in Ballito. Pictured (from left): Gerhard Meyringer, Managing Director Alplarecycling South Africa, Nicholas Pule, Deputy Director Department of Trade and Industry Republic of South Africa, Romana Königsbrun, Austrian Ambassador to South Africa, Günther Lehner, Chairman Alpla Group, Bevlen Sudhu, Commercial Director Alplarecycling South Africa, Dietmar Marin, Managing Director Alplarecycling Division.

Alpla Opens Recycling Plant in South Africa

Oerlikon Barmag und Evonik wollen gemeinsam Technologie- und Prozesslösungen für das chemische Recycling von PET entwickeln und vermarkten.

Oerlikon Barmag and Evonik have announced their cooperation to promote chemical recycling of Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) waste.

Strategic Partnership in the Market for Chemically Recycled PET

Closed Recycling Loop for PET-Based Multilayer

Strategic partnership delivers best practice example of a closed recycling loop for PET-based multilayer.

Multilayer packaging based on PET can have a bright and sustainable future. This is the message of the strategic partnership of four leading technology companies, whose closed-loop recycling model is sparking new discussions on the role PET-based multilayer will play in tomorrow’s packaging industry.

The European Green Deal requires all packaging to be reusable or recyclable by 2030 – a regulation that is perceived as particularly challenging for multilayer packaging, since its layers first need to be separated before entering recycling streams. However, that perception could be about to change. Sulayr, a recycling company operating in Europe, has successfully commercialized a multilayer recycling process that achieves ‘closed-loop’ status and enables PET to be reused with virtually zero waste. With this, a circular economy practice for PET containing packaging materials already exists, but this process can be improved and become more practical and effective, if the whole value chain works together with the target to make the separation of the layers easier.

Industrial adhesives specialist BASF, packaging machinery OEM Bobst and films expert Evertis are supporting Sulayr in this endeavour. Together, the companies form a strategic partnership combining expertise from across the entire packaging value chain. Their collaborative contributions are key to the success of this impressive recycling process, and its potential for adoption at a bigger scale.

At the core of the process is a multilayer film produced by Evertis, comprising polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyethylene (PE) layers, laminated with a BASF’ Epotal water-based adhesive and processed with a Bobst coater. Multilayer films are used for various packaging materials; after use, the waste is delivered to sorting facilities. Sulayr can use the so-called waste as raw material, ensuring a closed-loop. The company separates the multilayers and makes the PET available for re-use, with recycled PET delivered to Evertis and other film producers who then restart the cycle.

Closed-Loop Economy for PET-Based Multilayer Green Deal-Compliant

This is seen as an important step towards universal recycling of PET, enabling its continued use in a Green Deal-compliant packaging economy. The process can apply to post-consumer and post-industrial waste – meaning it has enormous potential to transform the entire PET-based packaging use model.

Sulayr has been able to separate different types of multilayers since 2009, but the speed and cost-effectiveness of the process depends on the debonding of the films. Miguel Ángel Arena, CEO of Sulayr, said: “Our technologies enable us to delaminate most types of PET-containing multilayers and bring the recycled PET back to the industry. However, we see a difference in the trays coming from the post-use phase to our facility. With BASF’s water-based Epotal adhesives for example, our separation process is simplified, because the adhesive allows a quick and easy separation with a high quality of the recyclates which is not the case with solvent-based adhesives for example. We are sure that a streamlined process can help scale up the recyclability of PET-based multilayers, giving the packaging industry a new way to meet its sustainability challenges.”

One way to optimize the recycling process is to produce all PET/PE trays under specific conditions that facilitate easy separation. This is an area in which the partners are collaborating: before bringing a new laminate to market, Evertis for example, qualifies it to be recyclable in Sulayr’s process, ensuring its layers can be separated easily.

The four partners emphasize that collaboration, as well as cutting-edge technology, is key to the success of the process. Thomas Peter Schiele, Vice President Adhesives, Fiber Bonding and Paper Coating Chemicals at BASF, commented: “This collaboration can be game-changing for the future of flexible packaging. It demonstrates that a circular economy for PET-based packaging is commercially possible – if we all work together. When it comes to recycling and debonding on multilayers we see good results with our water-based adhesives which can be key in this process, and we are confident that we can improve this process even further. At BASF, we are working on special adhesives that enable even easier separation under certain conditions. The more we do to demonstrate the viability of the process, the quicker it can become standard for all lamination adhesives – which would take the recycling of multilayers to the next level.”

Rui Silva, Chief Product and Innovation Officer at Evertis said: “This cooperation is a best practice for the packaging industry and significant for the future of multilayer packaging materials. The requirements of the Green Deal compel us all to do everything within our power to scale up the sustainability of our products, and to implement systemic changes to future-proof our industry. I am proud of the contribution this project makes to that goal.”

Sulayr and its collaboration partners also hope to change industry perceptions on a wider basis. Multilayers based on PET are necessary for many industrial uses, but were not thought of as a sustainable solution – until now. This best-practice process could change the conversations about PET, waste, and sustainability that are taking place within value chain leaders and packaging associations, such as Petcore and Ceflex.

“We want to move forward, collaboratively as one industry, towards a sustainable future for all forms of flexible packaging. As a manufacturer of printing and converting machinery, we have a duty to contribute to a future-proof, recyclable solution,” said Sara Alexander, Marketing and Communication Manager Flexible Packaging at Bobst. “We have done so by developing our equipment platform in terms of the most suited coating technology, process agility and speed with water-based adhesives to meet the project’s scope. Now, thanks to all the partners’ contribution, we have an opportunity to secure that future for PET-based multilayer laminates.”

By collaborating and optimizing further with our respective technologies, solutions and expertise, we can close the loop on packaging material recycling and create a more circular economy for packaging that begins and reoccurs with end-of-life products.

BASF SE  

https://www.basf.com

Best practice example of a closed recycling loop for PET-based multilayer.