PETpla.net Insider 12 / 2015

MATERIAL / RECYCLING 9 PET planet insider Vol. 16 No. 12/15 www.petpla.net A ‘one-stop shop’ to plastics recyclers As the demand for plastic sort- ing solutions continues to soar, Buhler Sortex, a member of The Bühler Group, and US-based National Recovery Tech- nologies (NRT) are entering a strategic agreement to offer plastics recyclers a complete solution for plastic bottle and flake sorting. The companies are bringing together their expertise in optical sort- ing giving recyclers’ access to their technologies, engineering expertise, customer service and support networks. Global plastics production increased by 10 million tonnes, to around 280 million tonnes in 2011, continuing to grow approximately 9% per annum. Europe and the NAFTA region together comprise 41% of the world’s total plastic materials production, driving demand for integrated bottle and flake sorting solutions, as compa- nies strive to meet government recycling targets and corporate social responsibility pledges. Charith Gunawardena, Head of Optical Sorting at Buhler Sortex says: “This landmark agreement signifies our confidence in the future growth of recycling. It also strengthens our industry refer- ences and reinforces our lead- ing role in optical sorting, while demonstrating our commitment to providing customers with a complete bottle and flake sorting solution from two trusted leaders in their field.” With a service support network in all major recycling markets, plastics recylers can depend on a comprehensive Buhler Sortex and NRT support network built on solid founda- tions of technology and service. This will also provide access to both companies’ wide range of capabilities, including system design, on-site management, installation and product train- ing. The partnership will also include close collaboration with key members of the technology value chain. Matthias Erdmannsdoerfer, President of NRT, concludes: “This significant partnership agreement is further acknowledgement of our commitment to supply and service leading plastics recyclers with a full portfolio of leading bottle and flake sorting equipment. We’re excited to bring the industry’s first complete offering to market that doesn’t require a plastics recycler to compromise on bottle or flake sorting performance and provides high-quality, local support. We look forward to building a strong partnership with Buhler Sortex and our customers across Europe and North America.” www.bottletoflake.com