PETplanet Insider Vol. 26 No. 10/25 www.petpla.net 17 EDITOUR istry, will require innovation and also opens opportunities to grow with more sustainable solutions.” However, Europe’s recycling capabilities are a concern especially when it comes to the availability of food grade PCR outside of PET. Food grade PCR’s based on polyolefins and polystyrene are not widely available yet and it will mean a big effort for the industry in the next years to reach the mandatory PCR addition rates in 2030. “Complying with EU 2050 net-zero targets would mean switching significant volumes from virgin to recycled or bio-based plastics, which could increase costs and it also requires a transformation of the industry.” R&D to drive better products Adrian Carmichael, R&D Director, led the tour of the PET R&D Centre, which is engaged in several projects covering material efficiency and improved sustainability. “We are working on gas barrier performance, to improve content protection and reduce food spoilage, e.g. with our Avient Amosorb oxygen scavenging portfolio for PET packaging,” he said. Light barrier products include the familiar ColorMatrix Lactra and Ultimate which provide visible and UV light protection. “The aims include using less colour to achieve the desired effect and, in the case of multilayer PET bottles, delivering higher performance with less and making more use of recyclable materials.” Multilayer packaging is often difficult to deal with in the recycling stream, as it is often composed of different polymers and materials. The effort going into this research was evident in a lot of new equipment, including a multilayer PET preform production pilot line, as well as a range of analytical equipment that allows detailed analysis of rPET and new products coming from Avient’s innovation pipeline. This is especially of interest in order to identify nonintentionally added substances (NIAS) that are part of the current recycling streams or might be also created during further processing of PET along with different additives. With the tour concluded, we reconvened for an informal closing discussion and confirmation of technical matters, prior to going our separate ways – Mr Schaefer to Frankfurt, Germany, and our Editor-at-Large to Salisbury, England. www.avient.com abc-compressors.com Mixing vats on the production floor
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