Atlas Xenotest Now Also Available “American Style.”
Atlas extends its compact entry rotating-rack weathering product series to meet American standards
Atlas Material Testing Technology, the global leader in weathering and lightfastness testing instruments and services, has expanded the performance capabilities of their Xenotest 440 and Xenotest 220/220+ xenon-arc instruments to conform to major American testing standards.
Used by a wide range of industries, air-cooled Xenotest instruments simulate on an accelerated basis the effects of natural sunlight, moisture and heat to predict the service life of products, materials and formulations.
While the Xenotest series has previously focused on European standards, the new enhancements allow these instruments to meet the specific testing requirements for American markets, including ASTM G155 for weathering testing of polymers, AATCC TM16 for lightfastness testing of textiles, and ASTM D7869 for weathering testing of transportation coatings.
Right Light Optical Filter – High Spectral Fidelity
Previously available only for Atlas’ flagship Ci Weather-Ometers, Right Light provides the most precise match to natural sunlight. Introduced to the Xenotest 220+ in 2022, this high-end, high-fidelity filter technology is now available for the more powerful Xenotest 440. With Right Light, Xenotest instruments are capable of meeting the most recent American weathering and lightfastness testing standards, including ASTM G155 for plastics and ASTM D7869 for transportation coatings, as well as International standards, such as ISO 4892-2.
New XENOSENSIV 340/420 BPT-C Sensors
Unlike European weathering testing, which rely on broad-band 300-400 nm light monitors and insulated black panel temperature sensors (BST), American standards specify 340/420 nm narrow-band light monitors and uninsulated black panel temperature sensors (BPT). Designed for the American market, the new Xenotest control sensors – available as options for both the Xenotest 220+ and 440 – provide one narrow-band 340 nm and one narrow-band 420 nm XENOSENSIV light monitor. Both come with a connected, American style BPT sensor.
Xenotest: Setting a New Standard
The introduction of the Xenotest performance extensions – Right Light technology and XENOSENSIV 340/420 BPT-C sensors – propel Atlas’ compact rotating rack instruments into the premier league of xenon weathering instruments. Now, in addition to European and International (ISO) standards, Xenotest now can meet demanding American (ATSM) weathering standards. These include ASTM D7869 (Xenotest 440), ASTM G155 (Xenotest 220+/440), and AATCC TM16 (Xenotest 220/220+/440), as well as all similar or related ASTM or American-style weathering test methods.
DUYTAN Plastic Recycling Co. Ltd. is the first plastics recycler in Vietnam to produce recycled PET for beverage bottle production. The company is about to install its third Starlinger PET bottle-to-bottle recycling line which is scheduled to take up production by end of 2023.
“We want to promote a closed loop for plastic bottles in order to reduce plastic waste and the use of fossil resources in our country”, said Lê Anh, Sustainability Director at DUYTAN Plastic Recycling. “After spending many years researching recycling technology, DUYTAN Plastic Recycling found that Austria has a lot of experience with the circular economy. Therefore, in order to produce food-grade recycled PET for the production of high-quality PET bottle preforms, DUYTAN Plastic Recycling decided to choose recycling lines supplied by the leading PET bottle-to-bottle recycling machine manufacturer in Austria, Starlinger.”
The first two Starlinger recoSTAR PET bottle-to-bottle recycling lines are in operation since 2021 and produce rPET that meets the standards for food-contact packaging of the US FDA and European EFSA.
Located at the Duc Hoa Ha Plastic Industrial Zone in Long An Province, DUYTAN Plastic Recycling has been the first recycling enterprise in Vietnam to engage in PET bottle-to-bottle recycling. The new high-end PET bottle-to-bottle recycling line from machinery supplier Starlinger recycling technology, a recoSTAR PET 330 HC iV+, will be delivered and installed during the third quarter of 2023 and is planned to take up production by the end of the year. Like all Starlinger plastics recycling systems, this bottle-to-bottle recycling line is characterised by very energy-efficient operation, also due to de use of an underwater pelletising system. Compared to strand pelletisers, underwater pelletisers consume considerably less energy, especially when used in combination with a downstream SSP process. Furthermore, the investment costs and operational expenses for the recycling company are lower.
With the additional production capacity, DUYTAN Plastic Recycling will increase its reprocessing capacity to 60,000 tons of plastics per year, which equals about 4 billion post-consumer plastic bottles.
Currently, DUYTAN Plastic Recycling operates two PET recycling lines from Starlinger with a yearly production capacity of 30,000 tons of food-contact rPET pellets. The Starlinger PET recycling process meets the standards of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). The produced rPET can be used at shares of up to 100 % for high-quality PET bottle preform production. To ensure a continuous supply of input material, DUYTAN Plastic Recycling has created a plastic waste collection network with more than 100 collection points all over the country. In 2022, the facility recycled over 1.3 billion domestically collected plastic bottles. DUYTAN Plastic Recycling supplies the produced rPET not only to large FMCG companies in Vietnam, but also exported 4,200 tons to Europe and the US in the past year.
For more information please visit www.duytanrecycling.com
ALPLA Invests 60 Million Euros in PET Recycling Plant in South Africa
New plant to recycle around 60,000 tonnes of PET bottles per year from 2025 onwards
Packaging and recycling specialist ALPLA is building a state-of-the-art recycling plant in the South African coastal town of Ballito, north of Durban. The plant, with an output of 35,000 tonnes of recycled PET material, marks the company’s entry into the African recycling market. Construction will start in summer 2023 and completion is planned for autumn 2024. In total, ALPLA is investing around 60 million euros in strengthening the regional circular economy.
The ALPLA Group is strengthening its commitment in southern Africa. After opening its new headquarters in Lanseria near Johannesburg in autumn 2022, the internationally active company is now announcing the construction of its first own recycling plant in South Africa. By autumn 2024, a modern plant for recycling used PET bottles will be built on a 90,000-square-metre site in Ballito near Durban in the province of KwaZulu Natal. It is the first investment in a food-grade PET recycling facility in South Africa’s second largest province by population and a key investment for the region. In future, almost 60,000 tonnes of PET bottles will be recycled per year and 35,000 tonnes of mechanically recycled rPET flakes and pellets will be produced from them, the majority of which ALPLA will process to produce its own bottles.
‘Our goal is a bottle-to-bottle cycle at the location of our activities. In this way, as a recycler and producer, we can secure the supply of safe, affordable and sustainable packaging worldwide and at the same time promote awareness of the recyclable material,’ emphasises ALPLA CEO Philipp Lehner. The company is investing around 60 million euros in the project in the industrial region around Ballito. The new plant will increase the annual production capacity of all ALPLA recycling companies and cooperations to around 238,000 tonnes for rPET (recycled PET) and 74,000 tonnes for rHDPE (recycled HDPE).
Partner for the circular economy
The market for high-quality products made from recycled materials is growing not only in Europe, Asia, and North and South America, but also in the south of the African continent. In South Africa, the increasing demand is accompanied by the gradual expansion of nationwide collection systems. ‘Together with the Producer Responsibility Organisation PETCO, who identified KwaZulu Natal as an opportunity for enterprise development, and other key stakeholders, ALPLA has been supporting the development of the collection value chain, the sensitisation of society and the avoidance of landfills for years,’ explains Mike Resnicek, ALPLA Finance and Commercial Director Africa, Middle East and Turkey, and Director and Member of the Board of PETCO.
In addition, for the realisation of the recycling plant, ALPLA has jointly decided to approach the investment with a local partner. ‘Local know-how combined with a sound understanding of the cultural and economic landscape is key for such a large-scale project,’ Resnicek adds.
PETCO CEO Cheri Scholtz says: ‘This investment in a further bottle-to-bottle plant in South Africa, and particularly with a local partner, is welcome news. We need additional offtake for the growing number of post-consumer bottles that we are unlocking nationally, and this also complements our transformation strategy.’
‘By setting up the first recycling resources of our own in Africa, we are equipping ourselves for the future, making a contribution to increasing the collection rate and reducing waste by recycling valuable raw materials. At the same time, we are creating many new jobs locally,’ believes Dietmar Marin, ALPLA Managing Director Recycling Division. The new plant in Ballito will employ around 100 people in the future. The development of the regional collection system will also have an impact on regional value creation and is expected to generate more than 10,000 indirect jobs in the coming years.
Rund 35.000 Tonnen rPET wird der international tätige Verpackungs- und Recyclingspezialist ALPLA ab 2025 im neuen Recyclingwerk in Südafrika jährlich produzieren. // From 2025, the internationally active packaging and recycling specialist ALPLA will produce around 35,000 tonnes of rPET per year at its new recycling plant in South Africa.
Growth market in southern Africa
ALPLA is represented at a total of seven locations in South Africa, Mauritius and Angola in the sub-Saharan region on the continent, where it employs more than 1,000 people. In mid October 2022, the region’s new manufacturing headquarters was inaugurated in Lanseria near Johannesburg. Prior to this, a second production plant for PET preforms was opened in Angola’s capital Luanda. ALPLA is planning further investments in southern Africa in the coming years. ‘Regional anchoring and global know-how create the basis for strong partnerships and trust. With high-quality packaging solutions made from recycled materials, we can support our customers in meeting their sustainability goals and offer everything from a single source in the future,’ says Javier Delgado, ALPLA Regional Managing Director Africa, Middle East and Turkey.
Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Collaborates With Sidel to Successfully Transition to Tethered Caps and Lighter Bottle
When Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) took the decision to introduce tethered caps for its PET bottles to boost collection and recycling and prevent litter, Sidel utilised its expertise in this field to support CCEP with the transition. Required to implement the changes by July 2024 in line with single-use plastic (SUP) law, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners also identified the opportunity to move to a more sustainable package, working with Sidel to move to a lighter neck for its carbonated soft drinks (CSD) plastic bottles.
Sidel and Coca-Cola Europacific Partners share a strong historical partnership, having collaborated for over 30 years at a global group level across multiple projects in equipment, packaging development and supporting services. CCEP’s introduction of attached caps and the implementation of a new lighter neck, with a 1 gram saving, provided numerous technical challenges relating to the correct selection of preforms and caps as well as the right technical equipment configurations to switch across all its existing PET packaging lines in Europe.
Comprehensive expertise from the start to completion
From the beginning of the project, especially during the initial definition and planning phases, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners had to rationalise the solutions to implement in terms of caps, preforms and OEM technical modifications on the equipment. During the planning phase, pilot tests for the new product were handled on two different lines including one Sidel line in Barcelona, which was converted to accommodate both tethered capping and the new, lighter neck GME30.40 that was developed and made available for industry. These tests enabled Sidel to work closely with CCEP to assess the new specifications, along with the new equipment configuration, to ensure optimum efficiency on the line, validate quality requirements of new necks and allow CCEP to conduct a small-scale market evaluation to understand consumer acceptance.
“The combined project management between CCEP and Sidel was key to the success of the project,” said Geert Marse, Technical Packaging Lead at CCEP. “Anticipation, planning and collaboration between stakeholders was vital in readying these lines. We released the first sellable bottles on the Great Britain market in May 2022, as we had scheduled. The pilot in Barcelona helped us to learn and identify any potential issues together.”
In some cases, Sidel combined line conversion with line overhaul, while CCEP conducted maintenance to deliver optimised product execution and the highest level of line performance.
“The majority of converted lines achieved line efficiency objective. We are fully satisfied with the preparation, including line status assessment, the pilot line tests and the great collaboration in working together to make this project successful,” continues Geert Marse.
Delivering massive conversions across Europe
Once pilot tests were finalised in Barcelona, Sidel was engaged by CCEP to convert all of its Sidel lines within European factories. Line conversions have varied between factories. Some required significant development for a change to tethered cap and new neck, including adaptation of different equipment such as the preform feeder, blower, capper, cap feeder and labeller. However, CCEP was able to rely on Sidel’s strength in this field to carry out the detailed study of every machine’s configuration in each plant to address their respective unique set-up.
With a large number of lines across the EU requiring conversion, CCEP was among the first organisations within the CSD market to switch to tethered caps. The first line to be converted was completed in April 2022 in East Kilbride, Scotland, which produced CCEP’s 1.5L bottle, before a second single-serve line was completed at the end of 2022.
Geert Marse, adds: “To support this switch Coca-Cola launched a broad communication campaign to explain how to use this new cap and to help gradually change consumer habits, collecting all consumers feedback and taking corrective actions if needed.”
To date, Sidel has successfully converted one third of CCEP’s European PET bottling lines for CSDs, with the final line conversion scheduled to be completed by the end of the first quarter of 2024.
MAAG Group is a broadly diversified global solutions provider of Pump & Filtration Systems, Pelletizing & Pulverizing Systems, Recycling Systems and digital solutions.
At Plast in Milan, Italy, from September 5-8, MAAG Group shows integrated solutions for the processing of polymers in the recycling process in hall 13, booth B31, in particular the ECO 500 high-performance melt filter from ETTLINGER.
MAAG ETTLINGERs ECO 500 is a high performance melt filter for the filtration of heavily contaminated polymer feedstock. For chemical recycling, this technology is outstanding for filtering low viscosity polymers. The filter is self-cleaning with a rotating, perforated drum, through which there is a continuous flow of melt from the outside to the inside. A scraper removes the contaminants that are held back on the surface and feeds them to the discharge system. This enables the filter to be used fully automatically and without any disruptions over long periods without having to replace the screen. The advantages: Reliable melt filtration, ultra-low melt losses constant pressure curve, fast spreading of the contamination and short residence time of the melt in the filter.
PEARLO 350 EAC with liquid-heated die plate for high capacities:
The underwater pelletizing system PEARLO 350 EAC is especially designed for high throughputs of like 18.000 kg/h of Virgin Polymer production. The unique cutting blade design and optimum water and material flow conditions within the cutting chamber provide not only ideal and homogeneous cooling effects but also outstanding pellet quality. Another innovative design feature of the PEARLO is the cutting blade advance system, which permits axial movement of the cutter shaft resulting in a precise blade advance as well as a regrinding of the blades during production. This allows higher equipment availability, elongated production runs and thus saves costs.
Under the name EBG, MAAG is presenting a strand pelletizing system for highly filled, hydroscopic and water-sensitive compounds. EBG scores with a high degree of automation, gentle material processing and excellent product quality. From the die head to the granulator, the pelletizing system forms a unit that, despite its compact design, has features of a large compounding system. Automatic feeding in case of strand breaks, removal of melt residues on the die plate by the patented Hot-Air-Knife and synchronization between conveyor belt and strand granulator to name a few. Also, in this machine the control system has been revised and now allows the operator to read out the machine status live via Bluetooth.
MAAG Group PEARLO 350 Underwater Pelletizer.
All MAAG Group extrex gear pumps in x6 class design are completely re-engineered and have redesigned components, from the shafts through to the bearings and seals, and optimized the interaction of the components. Specially developed gear teeth with low compression allow very high pressures to be achieved with low shear rates. The result is a further increase in achievable product quality, volumetric efficiency, as well as production consistency and safety.
For more information on our products, visit www.maag.com
Comprehensive Recycling Solution With Throughputs Up to 10t/hr for the Plastics Industry
MAAG Group’s recycling systems make it a strong partner for the circular economy in the plastics recycling industry.
Our expertise in downstream equipment enables us to meet the rigorous demands of the virgin polymer industry. This is why MAAG is also regarded as an important partner to the recycling industry; delivering energy efficiency, productivity and product quality. Our solutions save resources through smart design, compact construction and durability of components.
MAAG Group recycling system.
MAAG Group’s downstream equipment recycling systems help users to quickly and efficiently remove heavy contaminants such as paper, aluminum and wood to produce reusable pellets. MAAG equipment is the right choice for mechanical, chemical and advanced recycling.
MAAG Downstream Equipment recycling systems are coordinated to each other, and can be operated via our proprietary control system.
Modern recycling systems must be capable of handling feedstock of varying quality grades. With this in mind, the EX125-6 recycling pump provides precise, uniform pressure for downstream filtration and pelletizing over a wide range of feedstock inputs.
At the heart of Maag recycling systems is the Ettlinger Recycling melt filter, a continuous-running high-performance melt filter. Melt with contamination content of 16% and particle sizes up to 2.5 mm can be pumped into the filter for removal and discharge. Our ECO 1000 achieves throughputs up to 10,000 kg/h depending on filter fineness ranging from 60 µm to 1800 µm.
Both ERF and ECO series are capable of filtering almost any polymer used in recycling operations, in the production of recycled pellets, sheets and films, strips and fibers, or in the compounding industry.
All Ettlinger Recycling melt filters operate continuously, keeping the volume and pressure of the melt stream constant. This avoids increasing extruder speed, and as a result, cuts energy consumption by as much as 30%.
Comparison of extrex6 standard pump and extrex6 recycling pump: MAAG’s melt pump has been specially upgraded for processes dealing with higher contamination levels and larger particles on the recycling market.
After filtration, underwater and strand pelletizing ensures a perfect pellet shape for the recycled resin. The benefits and innovations seen in the latest PEARLO model embody Maag’s advances in underwater pelletizing founded on the decades of experience of both Gala and Automatik. The result is a highly uniform spherical pellet with low fines content.
More and more companies are looking for new ideas as to how recycling plastics can be incorporated into end products for consumers and technical components for industry. As a result, compounding is coming more into focus – provided that process stability, high availability and durability of the machines used in the compounding process can be assured.
A glance at the shelves in the supermarket is enough. Even today you can already find a large number of packagings that advertise a high recycling plastic content, and this share is set to increase even further. It is not only the large manufacturers of goods and articles for the ultimate consumer who are changing over or re-evaluating their processes, but also many other industries.
But changing over a process to enable the use of recycled materials is anything but simple. In the meantime, it has become possible to produce customized recycling plastics even for high-grade applications by adding additives, fillers or reinforcing materials such as talcum or chalk (CaCO3), glass fibers or master batch pigments. In view of the fluctuating quality of the input material, however, the know-how about material properties, wear protection and process stability is more important than ever when it comes to the compounding of recycling plastics. Only then can the property profile of the end product be maintained without compromising quality.
In this respect, raw materials based on recycled material no longer differ much from virgin material in terms of their properties. However, this does have an impact on the pumps, filters and pelletizing systems required for the compounding process. Ultimately different compositions, residual moisture contents and viscosities are the order of the day with recyclates, and various contaminants further complicate the compounding process.
To give just one example: For cost reasons, recycled material is often mixed with fillers, especially talcum or chalk. They can often account for up to 60 percent of the material. The mineral filler has a wear-enhancing effect. Furthermore, higher contamination levels and thus larger particle sizes are involved. Extremely resilient pumps and melt filters are therefore required. This makes it all the more important to have well-matched components in the entire process.
Each component combines with the next
Maag supplies complete solutions for the compounding process. Here – from melt conveying and filtration to pelletizing or grinding and drying through to the control system – all the components combine seamlessly with one another to create and efficient production process. The know-how of the entire Maag family with the product brands Automatik, Ettlinger, Gala, Maag, Reduction, Scheer Witte and Xantec goes into the process. These individual elements are brought together into one system, resulting in a complete system downstream of the extruder. The carefully combined unit with the Xantec control concept has coordinated interfaces. It ensures optimum process monitoring and can even be extended to the extruder control system and the dispensing, i.e. to the entire recycling line.
Ettlinger high performance melt filter ERF1000.
Vast system know-how
Long service lives, especially when working with recyclates and fillers, are achieved not only by innovative materials and surface know-how, but also by the way the system is operated. To achieve fast start-up and shutdown cycles of processing and compounding extruders, and minimize the load on them, the pressure of the plastic melt is generated by a gear pump. Only with a constant pressure and volume in the process can pellets of the highest quality be continuously produced.
In the Maag melt pump, on the other hand, the material is only briefly pressurized and is subject to very little shearing. The reason for this is that the Maag gear pumps operate with very high precision. Depending on the viscosity of the product, they guarantee a tolerance range of a few bar pressure variation. This is ensured by the special gearing and the special geometry of the gear wheels. The precise and stable volume flow rate reduces the extruder’s pressure demand, delivering greater efficiency and extended service life, which are highly valued attributes in the recycling industry.
The Maag melt pump was developed one step further for this industry. The extrex6 recycling version looks just like the standard model. This recycling version, however, features special tooth clearances, larger toothing gaps, and new types of bearings protected to prevent large-sized particles penetrating into their lubrication gaps, all of which allows tolerance for particles up to 4 mm in size, depending on the pump rating. In such cases there is no need even for a protective filter upstream of the pump, as a study at a European customer demonstrated over a period of several months. The pump doubled its service life, even in post-consumer recycling – the pinnacle of plastics recycling, as it is where the highest contamination levels are found.
To remove impurities and contaminants from the recycling melt stream and so achieve the desired product quality, Maag supplies the ERF and ECO Series of continuous-running high-performance melt filters. Melt flows from the outside to the inside through a permanently rotating filter drum with a large number of conical holes. The impurities contained in the melt are held back on the filter surface where they are immediately removed by a stripper, fed to the discharge system and discharged from the process. A clean filter surface is therefore available at every rotation.
Uniform pellets as a finished product
During underwater pelletizing that combines a number of advantages and innovations in the current Pearlo model, the melt reaches the die plate via a process-controlled, hydraulically actuated start-up valve, where it is forced through die holes into the cutting chamber through which process water flows. The result is a highly uniform spherical pellet. In the downline dryer, 95 per cent of the water is already separated via a pre-dewatering system, with the remaining water then being removed by means of centrifugal separation. The residual heat of the pellets ensures thermal residual drying and thus results in very low residual moisture values. The process water is then filtered and its temperature regulated in the water treatment unit before being returned to the cutting chamber.
During strand pelletizing, the plastic melt is routed to the die head. Here polymer strands are extruded via the die plate and conveyed to the cutting rotor. The exact dwell time in the cooling water is determined according to the polymer, before cylindrical pellets of the highest quality are cut.
Comparison extrex standard gear pump and extrex recycling gear pump.
From floor covering to engine compartment
The systems supplied by Maag are suitable for small pilot lines right up to processes for large throughputs of 12 – 13 tonnes per hour. The latter often run around the clock and are switched off at most once a year for revision. It is therefore all the more important that the systems work very robustly and that the need for spare parts is minimized.
In the meantime, many industries are rethinking the use of recycling materials. For example, floor coverings are usually made of compressed wood fibers, but increasingly they are also being produced with recycled plastics. – By contrast with MDF floor coverings, plastic flooring can also be installed in damp rooms. Furthermore it is possible to recycle the laminate at the end of its life and return it to the material cycle.
Another example is the production of pallets. They have to be particularly impact-resistant and strong in everyday use in order to bear the heavy loads. Recycled materials now make a valuable contribution here, too. Pallets containing recycled material have the same properties as pallets produced from virgin material.
In addition to these applications, however, there are other compounding examples in which Maag components play a role. In automobile production, for example, a material mix of PE, PP and other components is used for the lining of the engine compartment. Domestic plastic waste from the yellow bag – sorted, washed and compounded – is often used in this process. The Maag systems have also been precisely adapted to this mix of materials, so that there are only minor differences to the virgin material when it comes to reuse.
One final example for which Maag supplied a line for compounding of virgin material: Unlike the recycling applications, this involves a polymer compound for the production of films. Here, the quality of the later film surface was particularly important. No specks were to be visible caused by gels or agglomerates as residues from the compounding process. The constant-pressure filtration of elastic particles from the virgin material, with enormous, uninterrupted service lives, in combination with a melt pump and underwater pelletizing, is the optimum solution for this customer.
Conclusion
The examples show that there is now nothing to prevent the use of recycled material even for high-quality products. However, compounding processes require a great deal of know-how about materials, surfaces and the interaction of the individual systems. Only with carefully matched components, such as melt conveying, filtration, pelletizing and drying, can high-quality pellets and micropellets be produced.
Driving Circular Innovation Forward: Fashion for Good Welcomes New Partners to Its Sorting for Circularity USA Project
The Sorting for Circularity USA consortium project welcomes new partners and expands its North American geographical scope. Fashion for Good is pleased to announce the addition of lululemon as an external brand partner, joining the existing seven brand partners. We also extend a warm welcome to our new implementation partners Helpsy, United Southern Waste Material, Goodwill Industries International Inc., and its members Goodwill of Colorado, Goodwill Industries-Suncoast, Inc., Goodwill of the Finger Lakes, and Goodwill of San Francisco Bay. Additionally, Fashion for Good is pleased to recognise adidas as the project’s lead sponsor, facilitating the complete realisation of the project scope.
Fashion for Good, together with Resource Recycling Systems, launched the Sorting for Circularity USA consortium project in January 2023. The project will conduct an extensive consumer survey to map the journey of a garment from closet to end of use, and present a comprehensive snapshot of textile waste composition generated in the United States. The insights gained from this 18-month project will help to scale collection, sorting, and recycling innovations and inform decisions on necessary investments and actions.
PRE-COMPETITIVE COLLABORATION AS A VEHICLE FOR CHANGE
Within the first 6 months, the project has expanded to cover 6 key states: California, Texas, Florida, New York, New Jersey and Colorado. Additional implementation partners have also signed on to support the fibre composition data analysis: Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles (SMART) Association, Helpsy, United Southern Waste Material, and Goodwill Industries International Inc., with its members Goodwill of Colorado, Goodwill Industries-Suncoast, Inc., Goodwill of the Finger Lakes, and Goodwill of San Francisco Bay. Resource Recycling Systems will drive the dissemination and analysis of the consumer survey together with New York State Center for Sustainable Materials Management and Syracuse University Center for Sustainable Community Solutions, and execute the textile composition analysis using Matoha’s near infrared devices with advisory support from Circle Economy.
Demonstrating the importance of pre-competitive collaboration in tackling the industry’s biggest challenges, lululemon joins Eastman, H&M and Nordstrom as key project partners, together with Fashion for Good corporate partners adidas, Inditex, Levi Strauss & Co., and Target. Adidas’ lead sponsorship ensures a deeper analysis of USA textile waste infrastructure and the identification of valuable opportunities for advancement.
“We are so excited to have the opportunity to expand the geographical scope of our Sorting for Circularity framework to encompass an extensive range of key sorting players and regions in our USA project. This allows us to have a better understanding of the global textile waste challenge, unlocking the potential of textile recycling technologies, and accelerating the transition towards a more circular and sustainable industry.” — Katrin Ley, Managing Director, Fashion for Good
In the USA, textile waste is the fastest-growing segment of the country’s waste stream, with 85% of discarded textiles ending up in landfills. Understanding the composition of material, volume and location of used textiles is crucial for capturing them and sorting them for the best and highest quality end use. Moreover, the range of national and regional geographies within the Sorting for Circularity project series enables for nuanced cross-country comparisons – revealing differences in the textile waste generated and infrastructure required.
“Waste is always a local problem because of high transportation costs. Achieving zero waste goals will require new ways to process garments locally rather than shipping them off to make them someone else’s problem.” — Alex Husted, CIO and co-founder of Helpsy
THE SORTING FOR CIRCULARITY PROJECT FRAMEWORK
Sorting for Circularity, a framework co-developed by Fashion for Good and Circle Economy, aims to (re)capture textile waste by unlocking the feedstock potential for recycling, expedite the implementation of game changing automated sorting technologies such as near-infrared spectroscopy and advanced textile-to-textile recycling, and drive circularity within the fashion value chain. The project builds on the success of Sorting for Circularity Europe and India, which revealed insights on material composition, volume, and location of used textiles and provided a solid foundation to accelerate textile recycling in those respective geographical locations.
“Projects like “Sorting for Circularity” are particularly important for adidas, since we are convinced that circular economy approaches require the cooperation of various companies across the entire industry. As a lead sponsor of this project, we are looking forward to working with our partners to further formulate requirements for the political framework, infrastructure and technologies for the implementation of circular solutions in the US. Together, we can create a future where textile waste is transformed into valuable resources.” — Viviane Gut, Senior Director Sustainability, adidas
hubergroup Print Solutions With UV Innovations at the IST UV Days 2023
hubergroup Print Solutions will be presenting its broad portfolio of UV inks and varnishes for offset printing at the eleventh IST UV Days in Nürtingen, Germany. On this occasion, the international printing ink specialist will also showcase some innovations: for example, the company will be presenting its recently restructured portfolio for non-absorbent substrates, which is now formulated to be sensorially neutral and PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene)-free. In addition, hubergroup will be holding a session called “LED rocks Coldset” together with the printing press manufacturer Koenig & Bauer, the UV equipment supplier IST Metz GmbH and the publishing house Aarauer Zeitung / CH Media on July 4. This round-table format will focus on NewV news, hubergroup’s LED UV ink series for newspaper presses.
Roland Schröder, UV Offset Product Manager at hubergroup.
On the first day of the IST UV Days, hubergroup will accordingly spotlight energy-curing web offset printing. Thanks to the further development of the UV LED lamp technology, high-quality, commercial-like print products can now also be produced on rotary presses. Together with Koenig & Bauer, Aarauer Zeitung / CH Media and IST Metz GmbH, the ink specialist will be presenting the results achieved on coldset presses within this partnership. Visitors to the in-house exhibition can thus gather impressions, examine samples, and listen to first-hand experiences.
At its stand, hubergroup will also be presenting its broad portfolio for UV sheetfed offset printing. This includes UV inks and varnishes as well as fountain solution additives that are perfectly matched and suitable for a wide range of food and non-food applications. The NewV poly (MGA) and NewV tin (MGA) ink series and the NewV lac (MGA) varnish series have recently been formulated PTFE-free to meet the requirements of major brand owners and to be prepared for future specifications in global markets. In addition, the NewV lac range no longer contains benzophenone, which is a controversial substance due to its potential carcinogenic effects. Last but not least, there is a new series for the metal packaging segment called NewV tin LED, which comprises UV inks and varnishes for LED drying.
Roland Schröder, UV Offset Product Manager at hubergroup, sums up: “We have a number of innovations in store for you and are therefore very pleased to be back at the IST UV Days. I cordially invite you all to visit us at our stand to discuss your requirements and our extensive products as well as services!”
When visiting the hubergroup stand, you can also look forward to a special treat: the printing ink specialist is giving away four vouchers for two seats each in the hubergroup box in the Löwenbräu tent at the Oktoberfest 2023. You will receive further details on-site.
Oerlikon Hrsflow: Innovative Hot Runner Solutions for Thin Wall Packaging Thin Wall Packaging Applications: Compact and Efficient With the New Stack Mold System
Designed to withstand high filling pressures, the new compact stack mold, engineered by the hot runner manufacturer Oerlikon HRSflow for thin wall packaging applications, is equipped with the new Xd nozzle series.
The innovative patent-pending solution, soon available on the market, enables fast injection and cycle times in a stable process with high part weight consistency. Moreover, assembly and maintenance are simplified and highly efficient thanks to a plug-and-play installation thus avoiding long and costly down-time. The system, which enables the use of smaller injection molding machines, fits a maximum plate thickness of 220 mm and a minimum distance of 260 mm from gate to gate of coaxial nozzles.
A demo tool equipped with this new technology is available in the Oerlikon HRSflow Test Lab. Customers can run product trials with their most challenging polymers. The Test Lab is equipped with six injection molding machines – from 50 to 1000 tons – to offer customers the possibility to de-fine the best hot runner configuration for their specific applications. The new Stack Mold has also been developed to process PCR resins and sustainable compounds according to future needs which are increasingly connected to Circular Economy.
The tool has been designed to produce a 210 ml single-serving cup in R-PP with a weight of 6.3 g and a thickness of 0.3 mm. The mosaic frame on the part walls – patented by Collomb – allows a robust structure despite the part weight reduction. The new Xd nozzle series ensures a stable injection pro-cess and the maximum productivity at a lower cost per unit. The production process of this challeng-ing application is explained clearly in this video: https://youtu.be/0u-gyFP_sT8.
For further information: www.hrsflow.com | www.oerlikon.com
