PETpla.net Insider 01+02 / 2021

PET news 6 NEWS PETplanet Insider Vol. 22 No. 01+02/21 www.petpla.net Demand for PET recycling technologies continues to grow Austrian Erema Engineer- ing Recycling Maschinen und Anlagen Ges.m.b.H announced that the demand for its PET recycling tech- nologies is growing world- wide across the entire PET segment. “Despite declining sales of beverages due to the Corona pandemic and a tense situation in the recycling industry accounted for by the fall in the price of virgin mate- rial, interest in our PET recycling technologies remains high,” reports Christoph Wöss, Business Development Manager at Erema. Erema estimates the total capacity of all PET recycling machines sold to date for various applications at 2.6 million t/a, with the recent trend pointing clearly towards large-scale systems processing 2,000 kg/h upwards. A recy- cling system installed in Mexico this year is outstanding in this respect. It consists of two Vacurema Basic T machines with a throughput capacity of 4,000kg/h each and Solid State Polycondensation (SSP). “The customer is planning an annual production of up to 60,000 t of food contact compliant rPET. These are the largest systems we have ever built, but our order books already have an order for an even larger one,” says Christoph Wöss. Erema is particularly satisfied with the market success of the innovative Vacunite technology, which redefines the benchmark for performance in bottle-to-bottle. In just under two years, the energy-efficient system, developed in coop- eration with Polymetrix, has already been sold to 13 custom- ers worldwide. The Vacunite process is claimed to combine vacuum and nitrogen technology, to ensure maximum decon- tamination efficiency and, with the best rPET colour values, also to ensure that higher proportions of rPET are possible in the bottle end product. Growth is driven by more than the positive development of the bottle-to-bottle sector. Processing PET flakes directly into preforms (flakes-to-preform) or film in a single processing step – made possible using the Multi- Purpose Reactor, which can be installed as an upgrade to existing film extrusion lines (bottle-to-sheet) – and especially into recycled pellets for the textile industry (bottle-to-POY) also boosts demand in this segment. As a service to customers, Erema specialists take on the task of applying for assessments of the respective recy- cling process by the European Food and Safety Authority (EFSA) and provide advice and support in the preparations for the approval procedures required for the production of food contact compliant rPET. Finally, following the expan- sion of manufacturing and office space, the customer centre at the company headquarters in Ansfelden is also currently being expanded. Material tests using the Vacunite process will also be carried out on-site at Erema, expected to start during the first half of 2021. www.erema-group.com NPE 2021 cancelled After consultation with medical and legal experts, the Plastics Officers of the Board, the NPE executive commit- tee, exhibitors, and the association membership, the Plastics Board of Directors decided, and is announcing, the cancel- lation of the in-person components of NPE2021, scheduled for May 17–21, 2021, in Orlando, Florida due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. After extensive review, it has been determined that it is not possible to hold the planned event and also provide a safe environment at that time and loca- tion, and therefore the in-person show must be cancelled, as the organiser announced. The Plastics Industry Associa- tion (Plastics) places the health and safety of the members, exhibitors, staff, and the attendees as its highest priority. The Association states “While we are disappointed by the circumstances that led to this decision, we know that the plastics industry is strong and resilient. Over the past ten months, it has been leading the transformation of manu- facturing processes and supply chain operations that deliver medical equipment and supplies to pharmaceutical compa- nies, medical supply manufacturers, and healthcare workers, protecting first responders and frontline workers against the coronavirus. By bringing companies at the forefront of plastics manufacturing together in other ways, Plastics will continue to provide opportunities for the industry to unite to solve today’s needs and reimagine how to meet tomorrow’s challenges.” www.npe.org The date for Interpack 2023 is set The next Interpack will take place from May 4-10, 2023 at the Düsseldorf Trade Fair Centre. Messe Düsseldorf set this date in agreement with its partners and committees. Interested companies from the packaging sector and the associated processing industry will be able to register online from the end of March/beginning of April, provided all goes to plan. Exhibitors who were approved for Interpack 2021, which was cancelled due to the pandemic, have already been able to reserve their stand positions for 2023 and will now be able to rebook when they register. Components will take place in parallel with Interpack. It is oriented towards the supplier sector for the packaging and processing industry. Both Interpack and Components will regularly provide information on industry trends and innovations up until the next edition of both trade fairs. The online presence of the upcoming Interpack and Components 2023 is also being built up and expanded. www.interpack.com