MATERIALS / RECYCLING PETplanet Insider Vol. 24 No. 01+02/23 www.petpla.net 12 Investment in state-of-the-art equipment pays off rPET and preform production under one roof by Heike Fischer From Spain, we passed the Pyrenees and were warmly welcomed in France in Chalonsur-Saône, 135 km north of Lyon, at the SGT & SGR factory site. Our last visit was already six years ago, and a lot has happened since then. The SGR/SGT team looked somewhat surprised and incredulous when we parked the Editour-mobile in the car park and assured them that we were indeed living in it during our road trip. MATERIALS / RECYCLING We met: Jean Marc Wiencek, Factory Manager SGT & SGR, Anthony Dio, SGR Team Leader Fabien Tabart, SGT Production Workshop Manager The SGT and SGR factory is located in Chalon-sur-Saône on 5ha of land in the Saône Or business park. “The location of the site was chosen because of its strategic position since it benefits from a good connection with the road and motorway networks. The 10,000m2 factory for the SGR part has been operational since 2019. In June 2022, the SGT/ SGR has been expanded,“ explained Jean-Marc Wiencek. We asked for some updates since our last meeting in 2016. “In 2016, we put a lot of effort in SGT Algeria Spa. We equipped it with new cap injection presses. In 2017, SGT Algeria was FSSC 22000 certified for its two manufacturing plants in Rouïba and Setif. One year later SGT Algeria inaugurates its third plant dedicated to HDPE caps localised in Setif. In 2018/19, we started the extension of the Rezé site, close to Nantes and commencement of works on the new preforms manufacturing plant and a recycling production unit SGR in Chalon-Sur-Saône, in Saône-et-Loire,” Fabien Tabart, SGT production workshop manager told us. While starting a tour through the new SGR plant, Anthony Dio, SGR Team Leader reported about the PET recycling plant: “For four years, SGT has obtained the European label “MORE” Mobilised to REcycle. Created by the Federation of Plastics and Composites Polyvia, this label awarded manufacturers who incorporate recycled plastic materials in their production. It is saluted our commitment to a circular economy. In addition, in 2022 SGR obtains a favourable opinion from Efsa for its PET bottles recycling process.” He continued: “With SGR we assist our customers with their voluntary commitments to move towards a circular and responsible economy. With the plant we supply superior quality rPET suitable for food contact. From old plastic bottles we manufacture new preforms and therefore new bottles. Thus, SGR offers a second life to used bottles, so they are no longer perceived as waste but as reusable resources. 100% of SGR’s rPET ends up in our preform production. SGR is not selling its rPET externally, only including in customers preform production. We collect or buy crystal and blue-coloured flakes. SGR produces the highest quality of rPET suitable for food contact. By the end of the year 2022 we approximately will have an output of 12,000 t of rPET.” As we walked past the preform machines into the recycling hall, we can see the material flow of the rPET in pipes that are guided along the ceiling. Finally, we arrive at the reycling hall and are greeted by the finest recycling equipment: Bühler-Sortex, Unisensor, Erema Basic extruder (Efsa-Q201900488) and Polymetrix SSP (EfsaQ2020-00129). “When SGR takes delivery of PET flakes, it performs four additional grading processes: optical, metal, colour and material. Everything is meticulously inspected. Our recycling line is at the cutting edge of the latest technologies currently available on the market, enabling us to produce rPET of the highest quality. The site uses a vacuum-assisted Solid State
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