Extruded opaque sheet of thermoplastic from printed film scrap (left) and translucent sheet produced through a supercritical CO2 extrusion process. | Courtesy of AIMPLAS
A form of pressurized carbon dioxide can be used to remove contaminants from post-consumer plastic melt, improving the quality of the final pellets, according to a research organization.
A number of companies recently gained approval to use their technologies to produce recycled resin for sale into food and drink packaging markets. | Nixx Photography/Shutterstock
A chemical recycling startup, a massive resin producer, equipment providers and packaging producers are among the companies that have received the green light to recycle plastic into food and drink packaging.
A pilot project at a facility in Denmark is being backed by a number of packaging and recycling stakeholders. | Nordroden / Shutterstock
A European materials recovery facility will install sorting detection equipment to identify digital watermarks on plastic packaging.
The Plastic Odyssey project has been in the works for five years and is planning to launch late this year. | Courtesy of Plastic Odyssey
Plastic Odyssey, a project that will demonstrate open-source plastics recycling equipment and business models in countries without developed waste management infrastructure, is preparing to embark on a trip around the globe.
EverestLabs High Recovery Robot Cells performed 104 picks per minute compared to 70 on the company’s Delta system. | Courtesy of EverestLabs
EverestLabs released a robotic sorting system that the company says can perform more picks and fit in a wider range of sortation settings than what has previously been available to processors.
Research scientists are working to solve the challenge of recycling artificial turf. | severija / Shutterstock
Efforts in Europe will leverage chemical recycling technologies to recover plastics from two particularly problematic sources: wind turbine blades and artificial turf.
Na Kyung-soo, CEO of SK Global Chemical, signs the strategic investment agreement with Loop Industries on June 23. | Courtesy of SK Global Chemical
Quebec-based Loop Industries is receiving a $56 million equity investment from plastics giant SK Global Chemical to help it grow its PET depolymerization business.
Metaspectral’s vision system is capable of operating at conveyor belt speeds of up to 10 meters per second. | Nordroden / Shutterstock
The government of British Columbia is helping to fund development of a high-precision scrap plastics identification technology, according to the developer.
PET bottle labels can be problematic to the plastics recycling process, but three PET bottle label innovations recently received letters confirming their compatibility. | Ho Su A Bi / Shutterstock
The Association of Plastic Recyclers has recognized three shrink label innovations for their compatibility with PET recycling processes.
Rendering of the planned “SuperPRF” courtesy of International Recycling Group.
International Recycling Group hopes to finish financing a $150 million plastics recovery facility by the end of the year, with the massive plant scheduled to come on-line in 2023.