Alba Group starts construction new PET recycling plant in Indonesia
Alba Group, the Germany-based materials, recycling and environmental services company is spending almost €55 million ($ 60 million), on the construction of a new PET waste processing facility in Kendal Industrial Park (KIP), in Central Java.
The investment was made to support Indonesia’s goal of reducing plastic leakage to the ocean by 70% by 2025 and to near-zero percent by 2040. Each year, approximately 8 to 12 million tonnes of plastic end up in the ocean.
Alba Group, the Germany-based materials, recycling and environmental services company is spending almost €55 million ($ 60 million), on the construction of a new PET waste processing facility in Kendal Industrial Park (KIP), in Central Java.
The investment was made to support Indonesia’s goal of reducing plastic leakage to the ocean by 70% by 2025 and to near-zero percent by 2040. Each year, approximately 8 to 12 million tonnes of plastic end up in the ocean.
Südpack jumps into top ten in WirtschaftsWoche sustainability ranking
For the second time in a row, German plastic film manufacturer Südpack has earned a place on the list of the top 50 most sustainable SMEs in Germany. Last year, the company ranked 36th on the WirtschaftsWoche’s cross-sector sustainability ranking; this year the company edged into the top ten, taking tenth place.
Film and packaging manufacturer sees the achievement as a challenge and an incentive.
Upcycling PP with peroxide masterbatches
According to the Federal Environment Agency, around 3.33 million tonnes of plastic waste were recycled or reused as raw materials in Germany in 2019. More than 38 percent of this was polypropylene (PP).
Yet recycling this PP comes with its own set of problems, caused by the fact that due to the sometimes very long polymer chains, the melt flow index of PP derived from the mechanical pre-sorting of various material streams is often too low to allow for further processing via either injection molding or extrusion.
This issue can be addressed by using peroxide, which shortens the long PP polymer chains, increasing the melt flow index. However, both in liquid and powder form, the transport and especially the handling of this flammable, highly reactive and sometimes explosive chemical are subject to stringent safety regulations.
Handling peroxides require the use of protective equipment and special dosing technology. In addition, peroxides are volatile, with a limited shelf life even when stored correctly. For this reason, Polyvel Europe, a compounder based in Jork, Germany, developed their P-Series range of peroxide masterbatches designed to improve the flow properties of recycled polypropylene with additive concentrations of 5%, 10% and 20% peroxide. The masterbatches are available in granulate form, making them safe to handle and easy to dose, and can be stored for over five years as the peroxide cannot volatise.
Veolia PET Germany to shutter Rostock site
Veolia PET Germany has announced plans to close its PET recycling plant in Rostock, in the northeast of Germany, on 31 December 2023 as the rPET market in Europe continues to be characterized by uncertainty and volatility.
Veolia PET Germany is part of the Veolia Umweltservice GmbH corporate Group. The Rostock plant, spanning an area of 12,000 m2, handles over one billion PET bottles a year, annually producing some 32,000 tonnes of food-grade recyclate primarily for bottle production and high-quality recyclate for use in film and thermoforming production.
High energy prices and uncertain economic conditions, as well as competition from low-cost Asia-Pacific virgin PET imports, have created a challenging market environment for European rPET producers, who have seen both rPET flake demand and prices come under considerable pressure.
EBC 23 – The European Bioplastics Conference 2023
The dates are announced, EBC 23 will take place on 12/13 December 2023 at the Titanic Hotel Berlin, Germany.
Every year an impressive speaker line-up attracts around 400 senior private sector decision-makers from across the bioplastics value chain, as well as policymakers, leading research institutes, NGOs, and brand owners. An excellent line-up of speakers will highlight the latest developments in the areas of biobased and biodegradable materials and applications, bioplastics processing, end-of-life, sustainability and policy, the current political landscape, as well as environmental aspects, and opportunities for growth in the circular economy.
