Extrusion International 3-2025-USA

33 Extrusion International 3/2025 efficiency, and advance their sus - tainability goals. We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished and ener- gized by the opportunities ahead.” Sustainable Innovation in End-of-Life Award Greyparrot is the winner of the end-of-life award for its Greypar - rot Analyzer. The Analyzer is an AI- powered waste analytics system that revolutionizes plastic recovery by providing real-time data on material composition in sorting facilities. Us - ing advanced computer vision, the Analyzer identifies and categorizes waste on conveyor belts, enabling operators to optimize infeed blends, improve product quality, and reduce residue loss. With 140 units deployed across 55 facilities globally, the Ana- lyzer has identifiedmillions of dollars in recoverable plastics previously lost to landfill. “Data is the missing link in un- locking a truly circular economy for plastics,” said Gaspard Duthilleul, COO at Greyparrot. “Our AI waste analytics systems are introducing unprecedented waste data analytics at scale, to benefit the waste value chain. That insight is helping the waste sector recover plastic more profitably, and helping brands mea - sure and improve their packaging’s recoverability. This award is a pow - erful recognition of the role waste intelligence has to play in trans- forming plastic waste from a global pollutant into a valuable resource.” Leadership in Sustainability Innovation Award The Leadership Award, presented to the company with the best over- all score across the three categories, was awarded to Plastipak for their PPK Natura material. PPK Natura utilizes CarbonSmart™ MEG, a technology derived from waste carbon emissions through a proprietary carbon capture and transformation (CCT) process. In this process, industrial carbon emis- sions—such as those from steel mills or other carbon-intensive indus- tries—are captured and converted into ethanol. The ethanol is then processed into monoethylene glycol (MEG), a key building block for PET resin. MEG is combined with tere - phthalic acid to create PPK Natura, a high-performance PET resin with the same properties as virgin fossil- based PET. The result is a fully recy - clable material that retains the tech- nical integrity required for a variety of packaging applications. “We’re honored that PPK Natura has received the Plastics Sustain - ability Innovation Award,” said Plastipak’s Executive Managing Director Europe, Pedro Martins. “At Plastipak, we’re committed to packaging and recycling innovation that reduces environmental impact. Through the use of renewable elec- tricity and forward-thinking design, we’re driving progress in carbon re- duction and fossil resource conser- vation while helping our customers reduce Scope 3 emissions. PPK Natu - ra is a testament to our leadership in sustainable packaging. This cutting- edge PET resin is made from carbon waste and delivers the same high performance as virgin PET—but with a lower carbon footprint. This award reinforces our commitment to a more sustainable future—and we’re just getting started.” People’s Choice Award SnapSlide is the winner of the People’s Choice Award for their SnapSlide RX Vial. This product redefines pharmaceutical packag- ing by combining child resistance with one-handed accessibility— an industry first. Designed to em - power individuals with limited dexterity, SnapSlide eliminates the struggle of traditional push-and- twist closures while maintaining CPSC-certified child safety. Beyond accessibility, SnapSlide advances sustainability, using 25% less plas - tic than conventional vials while increasing shipping efficiency by approximately 20%. “We are honored to receive this award. SnapSlide represents what’s possible when sustainability and accessibility are treated as equal priorities—practical solutions that serve more people, with less impact on the planet,” said SnapSlide CEO Rocky Batzel. www.plasticsindustry.org New Distributor in Peru Orion announced that the Reci- end Group will be its distributor of Specialty carbon black product lines in Peru. For more than 20 years, Re - ciend has been Orion’s agent and distributor in Colombia. “We know the same dedica- tion and technical work that trans- formed the Colombian market will be the key factors to drive the evolution for the coatings and plas- tics market in Peru,” said Eduardo Belisle, a technical business man- ager at Orion. “We look forward to supporting Reciend on this new journey.” Alejandro Mejía, chief strategy officer of Reciend, said the collabo - ration is a strategic milestone that strengthens his company’s mission of bringing specialized solutions to Andean markets. “It is an excellent opportunity to create even more value for our cus- tomers and principals through our talented team, committed to deliv- ering high-performance solutions to industrial markets -- such as coat- ings, plastics, printing systems and battery applications -- where we have strong expertise and a broad ingredients portfolio,” Mejía said. “After decades of working with Orion’s carbon blacks, we’ve estab- lished a solid foundation, and now the expansion of our collaboration into Peru enables us to replicate that success in this important and growing market.” Orion S.A. orioncarbons.com