PETpla.net Insider 09 / 2015

imprint EDITORIAL PUBLISHER Alexander Büchler, Managing Director HEAD OFFICE heidelberg business media GmbH Häusserstr. 36 69115 Heidelberg, Germany phone: +49 6221-65108-0 fax: +49 6221-65108-28 info@hbmedia.net EDITORIAL Heike Fischer Gabriele Kosmehl Kay Barton Michael Maruschke Ruari McCallion Waldemar Schmitke Wolfgang von Schroeter Anthony Withers MEDIA CONSULTANTS Martina Hirschmann hirschmann@hbmedia.net Johann Lange-Brock lange-brock@hbmedia.net phone: +49 6221-65108-0 fax: +49 6221-65108-28 FRANCE, ITALY, UK Elisabeth Maria Köpke phone: +49 6201-878925 fax: +49 6201-878926 koepke@hbmedia.net LAYOUT AND PREPRESS EXPRIM Werbeagentur Matthias Gaumann | www.exprim.de READER SERVICES Till Kretner reader@hbmedia.net PRINT Chroma Druck & Verlag GmbH Werkstr. 25 67354 Römerberg Germany WWW www.hbmedia.net | w ww.petpla.net PETplanet insider ISSN 1438-9459 is published 10 times a year. This publication is sent to qualified subscribers (1-year subscription 149 EUR, 2-year subscription 289 EUR, Young professionals’ sub- scription 99 EUR. Magazines will be dispatched to you by airmail). Not to be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher. Note: The fact that product names may not be identified as trademarks is not an indication that such names are not registered trademarks. 3 PET planet insider Vol. 16 No. 09/15 www.petpla.net dear readers, It is rare indeed for me to be reporting on a product in this sec- tion of the magazine but what Next Generation Recyclingmaschinen GmbH (NGR) from Austria are currently showcasing is well worth a closer look. Theirs is a bottle-to-bottle recycling line that melts the PET and cleanses it sufficiently for the FDA to nod its approval and issue the appropriate permit. In fact, the concept is anything but new. Previously, PET shav- ings, and everything else, were thrown into the reactor during the PET manufacturing process, although this was more about saving money than actually putting bottle-to-bottle recycling into practice. These machines, often described as classics in the sector, chose the flake route, and were much less energy efficient than the NGR equipment. Transforming flakes and granulated material into new material that can be used for bottles is a time-consuming process, involving high temperatures and a vacuum environment. The new NGR system can do all that just a few minutes, at temperatures only slightly higher than the classical process. With a throughput of 2t/hr, the line is also just the right size for the decentralised treatment of PET shavings. So much for the theory. Practical application will reveal whether the theory is sustainable in the long term. Not for nothing have the established machine manufacturers been jumping through hoops for years in an attempt to achieve stable processes which are able to cover all eventualities. There is another consideration to take into account, namely, when it comes to recycling, not all countries are alike. Is it possible for one line to reflect all of these aspects? We are looking forward with eager anticipation to viewing the first commercial lines and having a look at how the new technology will stand the test of time on-site. Yours Alexander Büchler