IBM has a goal to recover more PET from highly contaminated streams. | Credit: Wall Street Journal video.
Three different chemistry-based processes for recovering plastics have recently grabbed attention, illustrating the wide range of stakeholders working to find solutions beyond mechanical recycling.
Argentina-based Arqlite’s first gravel products were sold to customers earlier this year. | Courtesy of Arqlite.
Consulting firm B-Green was helping consumer brand owners reduce waste to landfill, but the companies’ packaging lacked a diversion solution. So B-Green went to work developing a recycling technology and end product.
The U.K. government is helping to fund recycled PP and PE deodorizing research, and an ultrafine PET melt filter is developed.
Packaging company Mondi led a project that created a pouch made of 20% post-consumer plastic. | Courtesy of Mondi.
For years, packaging producers have been marketing recyclable multi-layer flexible packages. Now, they’re finding success using recycled plastic in their products.
Global chemical company Eastman has unveiled a recycling process that breaks down polymers into gases for use in chemical manufacturing. It’s now looking for suppliers.
An integrated plastics reclaimer counters claims about the non-recyclability of black plastics, and a UK company develops a more-efficient plastics-to-oil process using water.
After paper recycling companies extract fiber from cartons, they’re often left with a plastic-aluminum mix that’s sent to disposal. An Italian company has begun recycling that mix into pellets.
A project to develop depolymerization catalysts advances with support from a worldwide plastics company, and a bottled water company installs a PET recycling line.
An extruder is used to pulverize contaminated plastics into a powder for extrusion into printer filament, and LDPE film deinking demonstrations are scheduled for November.
A compounder moves further into the recycled-content space, a recycling machine is literally taken into space and a magazine piece explores black plastic recycling challenges.