PETpla.net Insider 07+08 / 2012

MATERIAL / RECYCLING 35 PET planet insider Vol. 13 No. 07+08/12 www.petpla.net Back in 1987 Starlinger started their recycling systems for processing PP textile residue left over from bag produc- tion. Then, 15 years ago, recycling developed into a separate mainstay with the foundation of a separate and independent business unit “recycling technology” Four basic types have been developed for a range of different purposes. Essen- tially, they differ in the way the material is prepared and delivered to the extruder. There are systems for PET flakes, for film, for woven bags and for fibres / non-woven materi- als. The result is always granulate, supplied in a range of extruder sizes between 65mm and 165mm extruder. This year Starlinger recycling technology celebrates 25 years of recycling equipment. Whereas treatment activities tended to be driven purely by economics in the past, the trend to bottle to bottle recy- cling nowadays is inclined to be politically motivated. It is only in this way that it is possible to explain the fact that the price for recycled goods is from time to time 10% above the price level for new goods. In Europe the collection rates average out at around 48%, in China the collection rate is currently doing somewhat better because China is anxious to become less dependent on the raw materials. As far as Russia is concerned, recycling tends to be a long-term trend that is being built up slowly. Despite a high demand for recycled material, the collection rate in the USA amounts only to a modest 29 %. www.starlinger.com DRYING HAS NEVER BEEN THIS EFFICIENT: ETA plus® LUXOR - now available with ETA plus ® ETA plus ® considerably reduces energy consumption and protects materials. When it comes to drying, saving energy is a key concern. We have developed a system that combines airflow regulation with a temperature adjustment feature – that can be disabled if required –and efficient waste heat recovery. The result? A drying system that cuts energy consumption by up to 64%: ETA plus ® . motan-colortronic gmbh info@motan-colortronic.de www.motan-colortronic.com Visy Food Plastics, Clayton, Victoria was one of the first companies to install the 3.6t/h system. We asked Mr. Michael Urwin, Project Manager at Visy Food Plas- tics, why: ? Why did you buy such a large line? ! Visy is a major recycler in Australia and collects large amounts of plastic from kerbside collections and other sources. It is also a major manufacture of PET containers. The line size is required to handle the requirements of the business. ? What is the source of the input material, that is, what collection system is available in Australia? ! In most of Australia households separate recyclable material into separate bins which are collected at the kerbside. Supermarkets and other businesses also separate out material which can be recycled for col- lection. ? Market size (collection, application / resin)? ! We expect to produce nearly 18,000t of PET resin per year. ? And of course: why did you decide in favour of Starlinger recoSTAR PET iV+? ! Starlinger have the regulatory approvals which we need and provide technical support as we look for future improvements. The existing customer base is getting good results. The system of extrusion followed by decontamination and the results it produces was seen by us as a benefit.