Erema helps PP, LDPE printed films reach recycling outcome

Erema helps PP, LDPE printed films reach recycling outcome
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An alliance of several companies has worked together in Europe to collect post-industrial printed plastic films to create what the firms call a cost-effective solution that creates “high quality recyclates comparable to virgin material.”

The PrintCYC alliance consists of: machinery suppliers Germany-based Brückner Maschinenbau, Germany-based Kiefel and Switzerland-based PackSys Global; Germany-based cast polypropylene (CPP) film producer Profol; Germany-based ink manufacturer Hubergroup; Austria-based plastics converter Constantia Flexibles; and Austria-based plastic recycling and reprocessing technology provider Erema Group GmbH. According to Erma, the initiative has been coordinated by Annett Kaeding-Koppers, a packaging and sustainability consultant.

In phase one of the project, the base material of the packaging collected was printed biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP). The films include nitrocellulose (NC)-based ink formulations.

After what Erema calls “promising results” with those materials, PrintCYC members decided to test alternative ink formulations for printing on BOPP and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) films. Switching to a polyurethane (PU)-based ink system in phase two resulted in what Erema calls “significant improvements of the mechanical recycling process on a production line, which is typically used for reprocessing printed film [scrap] materials in practice.”

The recycled-content material produced by the process “showed excellent processability for the production of blown films, cast films and even biaxially oriented film, [that were] 100 percent comparable to virgin material,” states Erema.

PrintCYC members say they are presenting the results to other with a goal of gaining additional knowledge and new project partners. Another objective is to use the results for further development of Design for Recycling Guidelines, says Erema.

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Source: Recycling Today
Erema helps PP, LDPE printed films reach recycling outcome
<![CDATA[An alliance of several companies has worked together in Europe to collect post-industrial printed plastic films to create what the firms call a cost-effective solution that creates “high quality recyclates comparable to virgin material.”The PrintCYC alliance consists of: machinery suppliers Germany-based Brückner Maschinenbau, Germany-based Kiefel and Switzerland-based PackSys Global; Germany-based cast polypropylene (CPP) film producer Profol; Germany-based ink manufacturer Hubergroup; Austria-based plastics converter Constantia Flexibles; and Austria-based plastic recycling and reprocessing technology provider Erema Group GmbH. According to Erma, the initiative has been coordinated by Annett Kaeding-Koppers, a packaging and sustainability consultant.In phase one of the project, the base material of the packaging collected was printed biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP). The films include nitrocellulose (NC)-based ink formulations. After what Erema calls “promising results” with those materials, PrintCYC members decided to test alternative ink formulations for printing on BOPP and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) films. Switching to a polyurethane (PU)-based ink system in phase two resulted in what Erema calls “significant improvements of the mechanical recycling process on a production line, which is typically used for reprocessing printed film [scrap] materials in practice.”The recycled-content material produced by the process “showed excellent processability for the production of blown films, cast films and even…