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| Image: ALPLA |
ALPLArecycling has been one of the pioneers in the “bottle-to-bottle” recycling sector for many years. At its 14 recycling plants around the world, used PET bottles are processed into high-quality flakes and granules, which are then used to make new bottles. With its new tray-to-tray recycling process, ALPLArecycling is now expanding its circular solution and making it possible to process PET trays in a closed loop.
In addition to bottles, household collections also contain PET trays as the next largest quantity, because thanks to its high transparency and stability, PET is also considered an ideal packaging material for this application. Mandatory recycling quotas will also apply to this packaging category from 2030 as part of the PPWR. As a result, waste disposal and sorting companies are increasingly looking for partners who can recycle this material and close the tray-to-tray loop so that they do not have to resort to recycled material from bottle recycling.
Technological challenge
Compared to bottle recycling, tray recycling is significantly more complex. Standard plants only deliver around 20 percent clear flakes as output for trays. The challenges lie in the higher dirt load, the separation of multilayer shells, and the increased brittleness of the material due to its lower intrinsic viscosity (length of the polymer chains). With newly developed and patented processes, ALPLArecycling has found a solution to this challenge and thus significantly increased the output in PET tray recycling.
Existing plants were adapted and expanded for implementation. They are now capable of processing 100 percent tray input into 100 percent tray flakes. Single-type mono trays, such as those frequently used in Germany, are particularly well suited to this process. The result is high-quality PET flakes that can be used directly for the production of new trays.
Material already available
The first quantities of tray-to-tray recyclate from ALPLArecycling are already available on the market. The company has thus created a sustainable solution that meets the requirements of brands and retailers as well as the specifications of a circular packaging economy.
Thus, in addition to the established bottle recycling process, a complementary material loop is being established that conserves resources and reduces waste.
