D 51178; ISSN: 1438-9452

No.7+8 M A G A Z I N E F O R B O T T L E R S A N D B O T T L E - M A K E R S
02.08.21
2021 IN T H E A M ER IC A S , A S IA, E UR O P E AN D ALL AR O UN D TH E P LAN E T

PETplanet
is read in more than
140 countries

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ey
M A R K E T surv
BOTTLE MAKINGPage Suppliers of
compressors
Page
26 28
IN THIS
CHANGING WORLD
OF PLASTICS
Moulds Matter

• Proven methods of working with

sustainable material
• Worldwide sales coverage
• Product evaluation
• Pilot and production tooling testing
World Leading Suppliers in • Technical service assistance Europe
Single-Stage ISBM tooling +44 (0)1623 556 287
For more information visit USA
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 3

EDITORIAL
imprint

PUBLISHER
Alexander Büchler, Managing Director

HEAD OFFICE
heidelberg business media GmbH
Vangerowstraße 33
69115 Heidelberg, Germany
phone: +49 6221-65108-0
fax: +49 6221-65108-28
info@hbmedia.net Dear readers,
EDITORIAL
Kay Barton
Heike Fischer
Gabriele Kosmehl The view from America
Michael Maruschke
Ruari McCallion You will find two top talks from America in this issue, first with Auri
Waldemar Schmitke Marçon of Abipet, the non-profit Brazilian PET Industry Association,
Anthony Withers and then with Tony Radoszewski, President & CEO of the US
organisation Plastics.
WikiPETia.info
petplanet@hbmedia.net Although the markets could hardly be more different, both report
the difficulties of getting enough collected bottles for the production
MEDIA CONSULTANTS of rPET. In North America the problem is systemic. Waste is not
Martina Hirschmann separated in the municipalities and therefore PET bottles have to be
hirschmann@hbmedia.net laboriously separated from the waste stream. In Brazil, it was more of
Johann Lange-Brock a corona-related problem. The essentially manual collection declined
lange-brock@hbmedia.net
as people tended to stay at home shielding.
phone: +49 6221-65108-0
Nevertheless, in both countries the demand for rPET is greater
fax: +49 6221-65108-28
than the quantities produced. In Brazil in particular, the big brands
LAYOUT AND PREPRESS
with their rPET specifications have found a ready response amongst
EXPRIM Werbeagentur | exprim.de consumers, meaning that smaller bottlers now also have to follow suit.
Matthias Gaumann
While in Brazil the recycling of bottles is already at the old level
READER SERVICES of 55% of used bottles, in the USA the recycling rate can hardly be
Till Kretner increased due to the system. Deposit systems for PET bottles in the
reader@hbmedia.net USA have only a small and sporadic impact.

PRINT It is questionable how, in times of environmental debate,

Chroma Druck sustainability and the anti-plastic movements, the USA can allow itself
Eine Unternehmung der to remain for years stuck at the almost constant 30% PET recycling
Limberg-Druck GmbH quota.
Danziger Platz 6
67059 Ludwigshafen, Germany
Yours sincerely,
WWW
www.hbmedia.net | www.petpla.net
Alexander Büchler
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PETplanet Insider Vol. 22 No. 07+08/21 www.petpla.net

4

PETcontents
07+08/2021
INSIDE TRACK
3 Editorial
Page
4 Contents
30
6 News
45 Products
47 PET bottles
for Beverage + Liquid Food
54 Outer Planet
TOP TALK
10 Brazil: PET helping a rollercoaster year for the
package market - Interview with Auri Marçon,
president of the PET industry association Abipet
14 “The long-term trend is upward” -
After pandemic-related turbulence,
the US PET industry is slowly recovering

MATERIALS/RECYCLING
16 Optimised colour change for hot runner and
injection moulding systems - Cooperation
Page between two world-leading brands in material
40 development and engineering
18 Preparations for competitive expansion at
home - rPET an export hit and prospects for
definite recycling regulations in China
22 FDA approval for Kreyenborg infrared
rotary drums
MARKET SURVEY 42 Tackling waste problem in Thailand with PET
bottle-to-bottle recycling line
28 Suppliers of compressors

BOTTLE MAKING MOULD MAKING

BOTTLE MAKING 24 Pushing the boundaries of cavity numbers
26 Optimising bottle production - Quality with upgrade moulds
control, fast-track material development
and bottle prototyping
30 On the road to industrial scale - Food grade
sample bottles produced by a global
consortium using enzymatic recycling process
32 A new peak: APF-6004 blow moulder at
Sairme Mineral Waters
34 From the seed to success - Bottle design
and bottle making
36 Bottles designed around the product -
Packaging that protects the product and looks
appealing
38 Designing for a closed loop market
39 Rigid biodegradable containers Page
40 3-log decontamination without chemicals - 18
Combination of PET bottle blowing and
pulsed light decontamination in one machine
41 Designed for recycling
BUYER’S GUIDE
TRADE SHOW REVIEW 48 Get listed!
44 Petcore Europe annual conference 2021, part 2

PETplanet Insider Vol. 22 No. 07+08/21 www.petpla.net

 yellow.agency
T O T A LLY S W I S S.

A FAMILY OWNED S WIS S COMPANY.

OUR IN JEC TION MOULDS F OR PE T AND PAC FE AT URE CR AF T SMANSHIP THAT IS UNIQUELY S WIS S. OT TO-HOFS TE T TER. S WIS S
 6
NEWS

Erema Group joins

PETnews
ABC Compressors appoints new
sales manager for Eastern Europe
Spanish company ABC Compressors has announced the
appointment of Mr Eriz Cristóbal as its new International Sales
Area Manager for Eastern Europe. His predecessor, Mr Nacho
Urbistondo, has moved to a new ABC office in Miami, USA.
Eriz graduated on Mining Engineering with a specialisa-
tion in Energy Resources. He also holds a Master´s degree
in Sustainable Energy Engineering. A native of Bilbao, he has
lived and worked in the UK and Mexico, as well as Spain.
He started his professional career as an engineer in the oil &
gas and steel industries before moving on to sales manage-
ment positions in the solar photovoltaic and steel industries.
www.abc-compressors.com
Chemical Recycling Europe
Erema Group is a member of the Chemical Recycling
Europe association as of July 2021. The Austrian plastics
recycling machine manufacturer and provider of services
related to the recycling process has been committed to
improving networking and intensive cooperation within the
plastics industry for many years. Erema’s aim is to integrate
recycling know-how into the value chain in such a way that
benefits the environment, the industry, and society.
The company states that in order to achieve the Euro-
pean Union’s targets for plastics recycling and the use of
recyclates, the technical capabilities of mechanical recycling
need to be exploited to the full by expanding collection, sort-
ing and recycling infrastructure and by further developing the
technologies and end applications. For material flows where
this recycling route is approaching its limits, it is important to
regulate and apply additional processes. Chemical Recycling
presents a viable option to recycle the maximum volume of
plastic waste, and is the shared interest of the companies
in the association, says Erema.

“In many cases, mechanical processes are at the begin-

ning of the process chain for Chemical Recycling in order to
prepare input streams and ensure a reliable, continuous and
energy-efficient material feed,” explains Mr Klaus Lederer,
Technology Research Manager, Chemical Recycling at Erema
Group GmbH. Erema extrusion technologies adapted to
meet these specific requirements are already being used in
existing chemical recycling plants. As a member of Chemi-
cal Recycling Europe, Erema Group would like to contrib-
ute the know-how of the group of companies to the further
development of Chemical Recycling processes, broaden the
group’s own understanding of the needs of plant operators
and promote cooperation.
www.erema-group.com

Largest mechanical sorting plant in Brazil

Stadler recently signed an agreement
with Orizon Valorização de Resíduos to
build the largest mechanical sorting plant
in Brazil. The accord aims to ensure the
processing of 500,000 t/a of solid waste,
in a country where the potential for recy-
cling is growing.
The agreement is claimed to repre-
sent a technological breakthrough in the
operations of the Jaboatão dos Guara-
rapes Ecopark in Pernambuco, northeast
Brazil, which will allow a greater reuse
of recyclable waste. In 2020, the plant
received 1.5 million tonnes, equivalent to
the waste generated by 3.7 million people.
This will be the largest mechanical
sorting plant ever built in the Brazil-
ian market. Stadler has designed and
implemented the entire project with two
overarching objectives: to modernise
and to strengthen Orizon’s plant for the
sorting process and select the recover-
able products with highest value to serve
increasingly demanding domestic and
international markets.
At the new sorting plant, 150 people
will be employed, who will carry out this
work in the project, which will start its
operation in 2022.
This plant has been designed to pro-
cess a large volume of material with initial
separation of the coarse and heavy frac-
tion through mechanical sorting and final
separation of the fines by hand. In addition,
the plant layout already envisages the pos-
sibility of extending the line to increase its
capacity, as well as increasing the automa-
tion of its processes.
Orizon Valorização de Resíduos oper-
ates five ecoparks in Brazil, and its waste
management and processing facilities
receive approximately 4.6 million t/a of
waste, serving approximately 20 million
people and more than 500 business cus-
tomers.
www.w-stadler.de

PETplanet Insider Vol. 22 No. 07+08/21 www.petpla.net


New facility in Indonesia to recycle
2 billion PET bottles annually
Thailand-based Indorama Ventures Public Company
Limited (IVL), producer of recycled PET for beverage
bottles, announced it will build a facility in Karawang,
West Java, to recycle 1.92 billion PET bottles a year in
support of the government’s plan to reduce ocean debris.
The facility, which is planned to launch in 2023, will
create 217 new jobs. It is part of IVL’s global commit-
ment to divert post-consumer PET bottles away from
waste and back into the circular economy, supporting
the Government of Indonesia’s National Plan of Action
on Marine Plastic Debris. The recycling plant will provide
the washed and shredded post-consumer bottles as PET
flake feedstock to produce recycled resin that is suitable
for food contact use.
Indorama Ventures has six Indonesian sites across
Purwakarta, Cilegon, Tangerang and Karawang. With
this new recycling facility, IVL brings a circular business
model to support our Indonesian operations. In 2019
Indorama Ventures announced it aims to recycle a mini-
mum of 750,000 metric tons of PET globally by 2025,
investing up to US$1.5 billion to achieve this goal. IVL’s
new plant in Karawang, along with its other recycling
facilities in Southeast Asia, will work with existing PET
flake production facilities in Indonesia.
www.indoramaventures.com
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No. 07+08/21 www.petpla.net 
7
NEWS
17th China International Recycled
Polyester Conference & Exhibition
The 17th China International Recycled Polyester Conference & Exhi-
bition will take place from September 13-15, 2021 in the Holiday Inn
Shanghai Hongqiao, China. For those who are not able to be present
in Shanghai, the organisers are offering a global live stream.
The Party Central Committee have proposed the major strategic
targets to reach the CO2 emission peak by 2030 and achieve carbon
neutrality by 2060. Technological innovation to achieve the “dual carbon”
goal has also become a market highlight. As a sustainable green low-
carbon fibre, recycled chemical fibre becomes an attraction for green
investments, with a large amount of new capacity expected to come
on stream in 2021.
With more large-scale enterprises entering the recycling industry,
small and medium-sized chemical fibre enterprises are facing increas-
ing challenges from capacity expansions of industry giants. Meanwhile,
the imbalance between excess recycling capacity and upstream raw
material supply is becoming more evident. As a result, market compe-
tition has seen increasing disorder. In the face of the large expansion,
how should companies identify their positioning and re-layout? What
changes are taking place with quality standards and industry norms
for recycling? Is there more room for breakthroughs in recycled raw
material technology? Focusing on the themes of substitution and anti-
substitution, positioning and breakthrough, necessity of market regula-
tion, Recycled Fiber Commission of CCFA, China National Chemical
Fiber Corp, China Chemical & Fiber Economic Information Network
(CCFEI), Dr Thiele Polyester Technology, based on the successes
in the past 16 years, are again to jointly present an event to support
recycling economy and provide networking opportunities.
www.www.ccfei.net

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8
NEWS

Plastics Recycling Show Europe Associations claim priority

returns to Amsterdam in November access to recycled plastic
The Plastics Recycling Show Europe (PRSE) returns to the RAI Amster- material for beverage industry
dam, The Netherlands on November 4-5, 2021, moving to the larger hall 12 to
accommodate demand for a larger exhibition and conference space. The PRSE The non-alcoholic beverage industry in
is a free-to-attend exhibition and a conference designed specifically for plastics Europe, represented by the European Fruit
recycling professionals. It brings together key players from the plastics and recy- Juice Association (AIJN), Natural Mineral
cling sectors to showcase latest technology, share best practice, network and Waters Europe (NMWE) and Unesda Soft
do business. A broad cross-section of the industry is represented at the event Drinks Europe, calls on the European Com-
including plastics recycling machinery and equipment suppliers, plastic material mission for “priority access” to its recycled
suppliers and compounders, pre-processors, plastics recyclers, waste manage- plastic (PET) material, or a similar mechanism
ment specialists and industry associations. that guarantees “right of first refusal”, to be
incorporated in the upcoming revision of the
The latest trends in the plastics recycling sector will be explored throughout EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive.
the free-to-attend two-day conference, which provides a holistic view of the whole
plastic recycling value chain, drawing together political leaders, major brands, As the beverage industry continues to invest
recyclers and the plastics recycling and manufacturing industry. Updating del- in circularity and to put highly recyclable PET
egates on the latest political and legislative developments in plastics recycling on the market, it needs to have priority access
in Europe will be the opening conference session entitled: Making Plastics Fully to its own recycled packaging material, the
Circular: What’s Next? Materials focus sessions on the first day will explore the associations state. This will help the beverage
challenges, issues and opportunities within the sector for mechanical recycling, industry produce new packaging with food-
covering PET, PVC and technical plastics. grade recycled PET compliant with EU food
safety standards, achieve its recycling targets
The second day’s opening conference session is Closing the Circle with and prevent its recycled PET being downcycled.
RecyClass and is followed by polyolefin material focus sessions which will exam- Closing the bottle loop is required to ensure
ine the current status of polyolefin waste streams including LDPE and HDPE. that the beverage industry meets the Single
The conference concludes with a final session looking at PP and PS recycling. Use Plastics Directive (SUPD) targets and
contributes to building a more circular economy
The winners of all seven award categories at the Plastics Recycling Awards for beverage packaging.
Europe 2021 will be announced at the event on November 5. All 55 finalists will be
showcased in the exhibition, as will the winners of the 2020 awards, which were The beverage industry is subject to several
presented virtually. The hybrid event in November will allow people unable to visit mandatory requirements under SUPD, one of
the event in person to view elements of the two-day conference programme via which is that PET in bottles has to be food-
livestream, including the announcement of winners of the Plastics Recycling Awards grade to comply with EU food safety standards.
Europe. Online-only visitors will also be able to interact directly with exhibitors. In addition to introducing mandatory collection
targets for PET bottles, SUPD also mandates
Organisers Crain Communications and Plastics Recyclers Europe are work- the beverage industry to use a minimum of
ing closely with the RAI to ensure all visitors enjoy a covid-secure event. This will 25% (by 2025) and 30% (by 2030) of recycled
include following the latest guidelines from the Government of The Netherlands content. The beverage industry’s commitment
and the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM). is not only to achieve these EU targets, but
also to go much further by creating a closed
www.prseventeurope.com loop for its PET bottles.
www.unesda.eu

Investment in PET recycling facility in New South Wales, Australia

The Clean Energy Finance Corporation
(CEFC) has made its first investment under
the Australian Recycling Investment Fund,
committing up to US$ 12.05 m (AU$ 16.5 m)
in debt finance on behalf of the Australian
Government to a PET recycling facility in
regional New South Wales. The new plant
will recycle the equivalent of an estimated
one billion PET bottles a year as well as
create long term employment opportunities
in Albury-Wodonga.
The PET plastic will be used to produce
more than 20,000 t/a of new bottles and
food packaging. Circular Plastics Australia
(CPA) will be Australia’s largest PET plastic
recycling plant and only the second facility
of its kind in Australia to process PET end-
to-end into food-grade recycled PET. The
plant is intended to increase Australian
manufactured and sourced recycled PET by
two thirds, reducing the country’s reliance
on both new and imported recycled plastics.
The announcement came just days after
an export ban on sending mixed plastics
overseas for recycling came into effect.
The ban was agreed by Federal, State and
local governments in 2019 after China and
Indonesia blocked imports of waste from
Australia and other nations.
The project will draw on US$ 12.05 m
(AU$ 16.5 m) in debt finance from the Com-
monwealth Bank of Australia, for a total debt
finance package of US$ 24 m (AU$ 33 m),
to build the US$ 33 m (AU$ 45 m) state-of-
the-art recycling facility. Construction is well
underway, with the plant to be part powered
by renewable electricity through the instal-
lation of solar panels.
Recycled PET produced at the CPA facil-
ity will help fill a growing demand for green
supply chains, displacing fossil fuel derived
and carbon intensive virgin PET production.
It comes as Australia is required to take more
responsibility for its waste and continue to
develop the nation’s circular economy.
www.cefc.com.au

PETplanet Insider Vol. 22 No. 07+08/21 www.petpla.net

 9

NEWS

PETplanet Insider Vol. 22 No. 07+08/21 www.petpla.net

10
TOP TALK

Interview with Auri Marçon, zens, and mass communication is very

expensive. Greenwashing from other
president of the PET industry association Abipet materials competitors will not cooper-
ate, of course.

Brazil: PET helping a Concerning growing market seg-

ments, special attention is required from
the new market segments for PET like
beer, home and personal care, dairies,

rollercoaster year for rtd juices and solid food. The challenge
here is to identify the right moment
when package producers or brand
owners are reviewing their original pro-

the package market

by Gabriele Kosmehl
duction lines opening opportunities to
show PET advantages. Technical sup-
port, market information and environ-
mental performance of PET containers
need to be provided.

During the height of the Corona pandemic in 2020,
companies in the PET value chain were also among those
that stopped their operations as a precautionary measure -
for a short time. It was not only the continuing high demand
for PET bottles that had to be met, but also interruptions
in the supply chain for other types of containers such as
aluminium, glass or polyolefins which had to be absorbed
with PET. And this high demand is not the only good news.
There are also positive long-term developments to report in
the opening up of new areas of application and the further
development of the recycling industry. This is not least due
to the work of the Brazilian PET association Abipet.
systems, injection, recycling, filtration,
transportation, etc. International and
local companies are our members:
Alpek, Indorama, Amcor, Engepack,
Gneuss, Husky, Krones, Piovan, Poly-
metrix, 3 Rios, ClearPET, GreenPCR,
GlobalPET, Resipol, Lamina and
others.
PETplanet: What are the priority
issues that are currently driving your
agenda and that of your members?
Marçon: Currently our main
focuses are on environmental chal-
lenges and growing market segments.
PETplanet: Mr Marçon, Abipet is Just like all over the world the plastic
the non-profit Brazilian PET Industry industry is under attack here and not
Association. Can you please tell us only by environmentalists but also by
what exactly you do and what your legislators, governors and other com-
goals are as an organisation? petitive materials. Even being the most
Marçon: Yes, Abipet is a non- recycled plastic with high end applica-
profit organisation integrating the tions like bottle-to-bottle food grade, we,
whole industrial steps related to the representing the PET industry sector,
PET process: virgin resin manufactur- have a lot of things to do. Most issues
ers, preforms & bottles converters, we have been facing are related to
sheets and thermoforming produc- the absence of information at sev-
ers and recyclers. There is also the eral different levels of the society. Life
technology committee supporting all Cycle Inventory and Circular Economy
technical challenges including poly- amongst others are concepts still
merisation, post-condensation, drying unknown by the non-technical citi-
PETplanet: It is now several
years since we took a close look at
the Brazilian market in PETplanet
(issue 1+2/2014 ff). At that time, the
PET beverage market was showing a
strong growth trend. How has it devel-
oped since then?
Marçon: The local market has
been following the world tendency
with water rising faster during the
last 10 years while soft drinks are
reducing their share in the same
period. Other beverages based on
“healthiness concept” like teas, juices
(concentrate or rtd), flavoured drinks,
energisers as well as beverages for
hydration are also growing.
Brazil is a traditional agricultural
country producing many kinds of
meals and fruits at a favourable sce-
nario for healthy beverages. It means
that there is a significant amount of
people drinking natural juices and
this is a challenge for industrialised/
commercialised beverages that are
supplying around 50% or 57% of the
beverage’s consumption last year.
The most important products bottled
in PET containers are: soft drinks
(43%), water (28%), edible oil (13%)
(percentages estimated based on the
last 3 years).
PETplanet: Dairies in PET was
seen as a particular growth market
back in 2014. Can you say something
about its performance in recent years?
Marçon: Initially, about 5 years
ago, the supermarket shelves were
invaded by UHT milk brands bottled in
PET containers, and now also yogurts
and flavoured milk are replacing their
original packages (polyolefin and
cardboard) with PET. The low-cost
production and the presentation of
their products were originally their

PETplanet Insider Vol. 22 No. 07+08/21 www.petpla.net

 11

TOP TALK
abipet.org.br

11º Census of PET

Recycling in Brazil

+12%
314 311 55%
274 278
Circular
311
of disposable
260
packages
250
Economy
thousand tons boosting
Total volume of post consume
PET
recycled PET in 2019 Recycling
PET post consume
(in kton/year) 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

The research in numbers

Over 160 companies RECYCLERS (22%) INTEGRATED (8%) USERS (70%)

PET packages recycles and utilizes Only consumes
classified in 3 groups recycling only recycled PET recycled PET

Where does raw material come from? How is recycled PET sold?
Recyclables dealers Selective Collection (Kurbside) Flake
68% 6% 57%
Cooperatives Waste pickers Other Pellet
17% 3% 6% 43%
(in volume) (in volume)

Preforms/ Textile
bottles
22%
23%
Final
applications
15% Chemical
for recycled
PET
17%
10%
Sheets/ 13%
Thermoforming Others
Strapping

How to increase collection volume?

Build Large Centers for Increase the Increase the
 Waste Collection and
Sorting
 selective
collection
 number of
Cooperatives

PETplanet Insider Vol. 22 No. 07+08/21 www.petpla.net

12
TOP TALK
motivation, and recycling rate is now
one important reason for the decision
in favour of PET.
Emphasising the recycling
aspects, Brazil has also producers of
polyester fibres working with rPET as
raw material, and this created a natu-
ral destination for the white bottles of
milk and dairies, and this is motivat-
ing many brand owners to review their
package mix and reinforcing the ten-
dency to move to PET as an environ-
mentally friendly material
PETplanet: Speaking about rPET
– How strong is ‘design for recycling’
in Brazil?
Marçon: Abipet has a strong
interaction with the largest brand
owners and other users of PET bot-
tles, and in the past 15 years we have
been helping them develop a better
“eco-design” for the PET containers.
Abipet developed and published the
“Directives for PET bottles recyclabil-
ity” that was disseminated in package
design schools and within profession-
als from the packaging field around
the country.
PETplanet: How is the collection
system for used PET bottles regulated
in Brazil? And can you say something
about the return rates?
Marçon: Since more than 10
years ago, Abipet has been carrying
out a PET Recycling Census with the
objective of monitoring market and
recycling performance in Brazil. More
than a statistic search we interview
almost 200 companies in different
segments: recyclers, final user/appli-
cation and integrated operations (from
baled bottle to final product made of
rPET).
In 2019, Brazil recycled 311 Kt cor-
responding to 55% of total disposed
bottles in the urban solid waste. Many
figures of the PET recycling perfor-
mance can be found in the infographic
(page 11). The Brazilian recycling
market has a relative maturity with
80% of approximately 48 recyclers
operating for over ten years. There
are at least eight large recyclers with
bottle-to-bottle and food-grade plants
producing more than 1,500 Kt/month.
All of them have suffered over the pan-
demic period since the automatised
infrastructure supply chain for recla-
mation depended on people, many of
whom were shielding of course.
It is important to highlight that the
big brands behaviour was important
during the pandemic once they met
their commitments regarding the rPET
content into their bottles. This attitude
kept recyclers working even during
the difficult times.
Unfortunately, there is still a large
number of companies that have not
joined the environmentally friendly
design but from our point of view they
are already being punished by final
customers.
“2020 is showing
that virgin resin
grew up 8%
supplying the
domestic market,
exporting and
covering the lack
of rPET during the
difficult period”
PETplanet: Brazil is one of the
countries with the highest number
of cases of coronavirus in the world.
What other impact has this had on the
economy so far - especially as far as
the PET value chain is concerned?
Marçon: Brazil has currently
around 200 million inhabitants and
proportionally the number of people
infected was obviously significant. On
the other hand, in terms of cases/mil-
lions of people, the Brazilian index was
smaller than many developed countries
even during the pandemic peak.
Considering the negative aspects
caused by coronavirus for the econ-
omy worldwide perhaps Brazil has not
faced the worst scenario as agro-
business and other important seg-
ments didn’t stop during the pandemic
period. For 2021, the GDP is expected
to reach 4.5%.
PET industry performance was not
so bad. Final figures are not finalised
yet but our estimate for 2020 is show-
ing that virgin resin grew up 8% sup-
plying the domestic market, exporting
and covering the lack of rPET during
the difficult period when reclamations
was not able to supply recycling busi-
nesses.
Another important aspect regard-
ing packages is the rupture in the
supply chain observed for aluminium
cans, glass bottles and polyole-
fins. During the second semester of
PETplanet Insider
2020 and now in 2021, many brand
owners changed their mix of pack-
ages increasing the PET bottles in
their lines.
PETplanet: Did your members
also experience any pandemic-related
interruptions in supply chains, besides
the recyclers’ infrastructure?
Marçon: During the worst period
in 2020 (March/April) many compa-
nies stopped or significantly reduced
their operations for a short period of
time as a precautionary measure but
it was quickly resumed once demand
for beverage didn’t stop. We observe
the change in the demand profile with
reductions in soft drink consump-
tion and growth in water, edible oil,
detergents, alcohol-gel, cleansers
and many different containers for food
delivery, the majority in thermoformed
trays.
An interesting experience is
related to the available capacity of
virgin resins that supplied all the
domestic demand and exported to
other countries including the USA.
The total capacity of PET virgin resin
in Brazil is 1,000 Kt/a, and the regular
demand last year was between 600-
700 Kt/a.
As I mentioned, the recyclers were
significantly affected in 2020 because
reclamation did not work regularly
over the entire country and their raw
material (disposable/baled bottles)
was not enough to supply recycling
plants.
PETplanet: Did you notice any
changes in consumer behaviour which
have had a particular impact on PET
packaging during the pandemic, but
also on the long term?
Marçon: All PET converters
realised the change in the size of
PET bottles demanded. Due to the
lockdown in the cities the “on the
go” consumption (small containers)
was replaced for home consumption
(larger bottles). Another change was
the increase in PET trays used for
food delivery that took advantage to
increase their market share due to
the lack of polyolefins to supply the
converters. The same happened with
detergent and other cleansers when
many brands increased PET pack-
ages in their portfolio.
PETplanet: Thank you for your
insights!
www.abipet.org.br
Vol. 22 No. 07+08/21 www.petpla.net
 13

TOP TALK
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PETplanet Insider Vol. 22 No. 07+08/21 www.petpla.net

14
TOP TALK
After pandemic-related turbulence, the US PET industry is slowly recovering
“The long-term trend is upward”
by Gabriele Kosmehl
As President & CEO of the Plastics Industry Association, Tony Radoszewski experienced
first-hand the light and dark sides that the pandemic had in store for the US plastics
industry. In our interview, he reports on the advantages that the material was able to
demonstrate for the health sector, but also on the adverse effects that the pandemic had on
the recycling market.
PETplanet: Plastics Industry
Association is supporting the entire
US plastics chain. How have you and
your members experienced the last 18
months, in the wake of the pandemic?
Radoszewski: Plastic is every-
where, but its positive contributions
have tended to hide in plain sight.
The pandemic really brought to light
how essential plastic is to modern
societies. Plastic gloves, face masks
and barriers have been essential in
preventing and treating Covid-19.
Put simply, plastic has proven to be
irreplaceable, and no doubt saved
countless lives during this challenging
period.
PETplanet: What precautions had
you taken in your organisation regard-
ing the pandemic, and which are still
active?
Radoszewski: I have a very real
responsibility as the leader of our
association to keep my people safe. I
take that responsibility very seriously.
We’ve consistently adhered to guid-
ance and protocols from federal and
local public health agencies. We’ve
been very successful in adapting to
virtual operations since last year. That
being said, I very much look forward
to getting back into the office for regu-
lar in-person meetings with my staff
later this year. It’s tough to replace the
ability to drop into a colleague’s office
with a quick question. Those quick
brainstorming sessions can often
times lead to big ideas.
PETplanet: Regarding the PET/
bottling industry in particular - how do
the production figures currently com-
pare to the last few years?
Radoszewski: The long-term
trend is upward and production has
partially recovered from the shock that
resulted from the pandemic last year.
However, various near-term supply
chain bottlenecks have prevented a
full production recovery compared to
past years.
PETplanet: During the pandemic,
the consumption behaviour of many
consumers changed. In Europe, for
example, there was an increase in
sales of PET packaging in larger con-
tainers. Have you also observed new
trends in the USA - a country where
larger containers are more important
anyway - with regard to PET bottles?
Radoszewski: The data really
doesn’t point to a strong shift to
larger containers in the United States.
Consumption of essentials rose sig-
nificantly during the pandemic, which
was reflected in both small and large
PET containers. During the peak of
the public health crisis, consumers
purchased what was readily available.
PETplanet: During the lockdowns,
many recyclers complained of not
getting bottles back at the usual rate.
How have the recyclers among your
members been doing? And are the
plants now running at full capacity
again?
PETplanet Insider
Radoszewski: Our members also
experienced the availability issue.
Interestingly, this happened most
noticeably in those states with bottle-
return policies since the deposit cen-
tres stopped taking them back. New
York even waived the requirement
for retailers to take them back. Some
kerb side collection was impacted,
but not as drastically. Most plants
currently are back to operating at full
capacity. However, the bale price is
significantly higher than last year at
this time and in some places almost
double 2019 prices.
PETplanet: In your view, how
does the American recycling industry
compare internationally with regard to
PET? And what adjustments could be
made for further improvements?
Radoszewski: The US differs
from most of the world because we
do not have a single system to collect
plastics, especially PET bottles. This
complicates access to recycling and
is influenced by a number of local
factors including container-deposit
policies, attitudes, and infrastructure.
These all impact the economics of
recycling. Unlike other types of plastic
products where there may be tech-
nical challenges in their recycling,
the issue with PET bottles is one of
consumer participation. Recyclers
could – and want – to process more
PET bottles. There is a strong market
for recycled PET. Increased consumer
education and an increase is recycling
infrastructure would go a long way to
improving the recycling system and
rates overall.
PETplanet: California is in the
headlines often at the moment
because of new packaging and recy-
cling bills, and your association has
specifically positioned itself against
the California Labelling Bill SB 343.
Vol. 22 No. 07+08/21 www.petpla.net

Can you briefly explain to our readers
the most important bills that affect the
PET bottling/recycling industry?
Radoszewski: There are two
significant bills in California that we
are keeping an eye on and it’s a bit
confusing as to what the goal is here.
AB 478 mandates recycled content
in all thermoforms. This includes PET
as well as the other resins such as
polystyrene, polyethylene and poly-
propylene.
Another bill we’re watching is SB
343. It would create a prescribed list
of recyclable materials and would
prevent the use of the chasing arrows
symbol on any material not listed.
Incredibly, PET thermoforms, which
package so much of California’s
fresh produce would not be consid-
ered recyclable and would instead be
landfilled. There are strong, viable,
and growing markets for this material
in California and this legislation would
prevent their recycling.
In sum, one bill requires recycled
content from materials that the other
bill does not consider recyclable.
PETplanet: What role do direc-
tives play for your members in the
US market that, like the example of
tethered caps, are currently becoming
binding for the European market?
Radoszewski: We continue to
see legislation pushing tethered caps.
These efforts are not as significant as
has been the case in the past. How-
ever, Maine and Massachusetts both
PETplanet Insider Vol. 22 No. 07+08/21
15
TOP TALK
had bills introduced on the subject
this year. Other directives we have
been following are recycled content
mandates in plastic bottles. Last year
California passed a recycled content
law, and this year Maine and Wash-
ington both passed similar laws.
PETplanet: The challenging global
situation entailed the shift of the
NPE show to 2024. Which (strategic)
changes, difficulties but also opportu-
nities resulted from that for you? What
possibilities are you going to tackle to
strengthen the relationship with your
exhibitors, visitors and of course your
direct members, also in the interim
period?
Radoszewski: Organisations
across the globe have found new
meaning in the old idiom “necessity
is the mother of invention.” The past
18 months or so have been jarring in
so many ways, but our association
has been more agile and adaptable
than even I thought possible. We’ve
accepted challenges as opportunities
and have hosted numerous virtual
events to maintain strong engagement
with our members and stakehold-
ers. At the same time, nothing can
fully replace the in-person dynam-
ics of a trade show of the size and
scale of NPE. That’s why we’re laying
the groundwork right now for the
NPE 2024 to be the best NPE ever.
PETplanet: We are looking for-
ward to it! Thank you very much!
www.plasticsindustry.org
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16
MATERIALS / RECYCLING

Cooperation between two world-leading brands in

material development and engineering

Optimised colour change

for hot runner and injection
moulding systems by Kay Barton

With its headquarters in Howell, Michigan, USA, Chem-Trend recently announced its
cooperation with injection moulding plant manufacturer Husky Injection Molding Systems
from Bolton, Canada. Compound manufacturer Chem-Trend cites more efficient and cost-
effective procedures for colour changes within production processes in PET processing as
the basis for cooperation. In use here is the cleaning granulate Ultra Purge, which Chem-
Trend has had in its range since 2016 and forms the basis for cooperation. We spoke to Ms
Antje Scholl, responsible Global Business Development Director for Thermoplastics, about
the new partnership and technology.

Antje Scholl, Global Business Devel-

opment Director for Thermoplastics,
Chem-Trend

“We produce Ultra Purge in dif-

Ultra Purge compounds
Chem-Trend, which was already
offering cleaning granulate in the
late 1980s, took over the Ultra Purge
segment of Italian manufacturer MPI
Moulds Plus International in 2016
to further strengthen its own market
position. The product line has been
and continues to be further devel-
oped and should see application
in the widest range of materials,
processes and technical environ-
ments for manufacturing the widest
range of products. The granulate
is used in fields like packaging and
end cap manufacturing, automotive,
homewares, electronics and medi-
cal plastic products. According to
company statements, the customer
base is growing continually, although
precise figures and customers are
not mentioned by name for reasons
of company policy.
ferent parts of the world to guaran-
tee rapid supply chains,” says Antje
Scholl, “including in Europe, North
and South America and Asia.” With
particular regard to classical meth-
ods, she explains the specific merits
of using the cleaning granulate as
follows: “An established method for
a colour change, for example on a
high cavity mould, is simply the use
of more virgin material to switch
the colour. This leads naturally not
only to longer downtimes, which can
sometimes last hours, depending on
application and material, but also to
all kinds of avoidable material use and
product defects. In cooperation with
Husky, we are combining our instruc-

PETplanet Insider Vol. 22 No. 07+08/21 www.petpla.net

 17

tions on the procedure for using our
granulate with their Altanium Control-
ler, leading to cleaning processes
being more standardised, simplified
and especially more repeatable, with
an overall lower use of Ultra Purge
material and a time expenditure of just
a few minutes.” According to Chem-
Trend, a case study with a customer
shows a reduction of 85% in material
waste and an 80% efficiency increase
in the cleaning process. The work
with Husky promises an expansion
of customer potential for
PET preform and PE end
cap applications at a global
level.
MATERIALS / RECYCLING
sales of its products
close to its chest. After
all, alongside possible
future collaborations,
they want to continue
developing their own
products.
www.chemtrend.com
www.husky.co
Chem-Trend headquarter R&D in Howell, Michigan

But how did collabo-

ration with the Canadian
machinery engineer come
about in the first place?
“Chem-Trend’s relationship
with Husky started several
years ago with Husky first
distributing Ultra Purge
grades designed to purge
PET preform applications
alongside their systems
designed for the same
application,” explained
Antje Scholl. “Based on
the performance of our
products and our level of
service, the relationship
grew over the years to
expand Husky’s distribu-
tion of Ultra Purge grades
for polyolefin application
normally used in caps and
closures.” Besides such
intelligent solutions, the col-
laboration also sends out
a signal of principle, which
could certainly be applied
to other collaborations as
well. Ms Scholl says: “The
vision of simplification and
productivity increases for
the customer is also a great
opportunity to initiate further
partnerships with other
equipment suppliers in the
future.”

The pandemic has

fuelled the need for pack-
aging in all FMCG areas,
which has also led to pal-
pable demand worldwide
for Chem-Trend’s clean-
ing granulate, although the
company is keeping infor-
mation on growth rates and

PETplanet Insider Vol. 22

18
MATERIALS / RECYCLING

rPET an export hit and prospects for definitive recycling regulations in China

Preparations for competitive

expansion at home
The Chinese recycling firm, Guangxi Guolong Plastic Technology, is located just under
300 km north-west of Guangzhou near the city of Wuzhou in Guangxi Province. This pri-
vately-owned business was founded nine years ago by its Chairman, Guo Jiawan, and
specialises in the production of food-grade rPET packaging and cups for food and drinks
products, as well as rPET sheets and flakes. The company also uses high-end recycling
equipment from Europe. Although the firm is not yet profitable, Mr Jiawan sees prospects
for long-term success and potential. We talked to him about opportunities, goals and the
current state of recycling in China.

Aerial shot of Guolong Plastic’s premises Chairman Mr Guo Jiawan

Guo Jiawan was previously active
in the real estate business and man-
aged the city’s only 5-star hotel before
founding Guangxi Guolong Plastic
Technology and deciding to move into
the recycling industry in 2012.
“Environmental protection is ben-
eficial to future generations, and I am
very enthusiastic about it”, said Mr
Jiawan. And the ambitious entrepre-
neur has since invested quite a sum,
US$ 124 million into his vision in the
past eight years. “But we have not yet
achieved profitability”, he added. We
will soon learn the motivation behind
this, but first, let us go back to the
beginning.
In order to gain a better under-
standing of the global recycling
industry, the company founder and
his team first travelled to different
parts of the world, including Europe,
North and South America, as well
as Asia and south-east Asia, where
they acquired valuable experience
in local environments, and on the
implementation of recycling prac-
tices and technologies. They visited
test and development centres,
including those of the plant manu-
facturer, Tomra, and ultimately came
up with ideas and concepts for their
own company project, with a focus
on recycled material for food-grade
applications.
Over the years, the result has
been the establishment of a machine
park that, according to Mr Jiawan,
sets itself apart from all its competi-
tors in terms of its capabilities and
technology. “Our province alone gen-
erates about 800,000 t of plastic waste
annually, much of which is crushed
and shredded by micro companies”,
he says.
“There have also been problems
with existing, often outdated equip-
ment and processing operations
linked to all kinds of adverse ecologi-
cal impacts that essentially breach
China’s environmental protection reg-
ulations. We, on the other hand, have
installed a comprehensive recycling
system in Guangxi and established
dedicated recycling centres in the
cities where we can centrally process
collected PET bottle waste that meets
government standards.”
According to Mr Jiawan, process
issues are the main problem facing
the Chinese recycling world today
given the existence of disparate meth-
odologies and physical recycling com-
peting with its chemical alternative.
In addition, there is still a significant
proportion of biodegradable plastics.
As a result, the company is still heav-
ily export-driven, serving customers

PETplanet Insider Vol. 22 No. 07+08/21 www.petpla.net

yellow.agency
19

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20
MATERIALS / RECYCLING
in other Asian and south-east Asian
countries, as well as in America and
Europe.
“The physical recycling of food-
grade applications has made great
technological advances over the
years to a level which, I believe, offers
considerable benefits which is why
we chose this area. However, stand-
ardised regulations would be needed
for a breakthrough in China itself”,
explains Mr Jiawan.
Meanwhile, his company’s techni-
cal equipment portfolio includes Tomra
systems for bottle and flake storing,
namely the Autosort for pre-sorting of
bottles and Autosort Flake and Inno-
sort Flake, both for flake purification,
several three-layer co-extrusion ABA
structure rPET sheet production lines,
a Buhler SSP line, a PET extrusion
and granulation production line, five
high-speed thermoforming produc-
tion lines, a Kiefel KTR6.1 high-speed
cup making machine with the largest
output, an HDPE bottle cleaning line
and an HDPE granulation production
line.
“The waste source or condition is
obviously critical to our processes and
requires a centralised solution. With
the introduction of the 2017 Waste
Ban, under which solid waste can no
longer be imported into the country for
recycling, China now has an opportu-
nity on a broad scale for us to develop
and install a proper recycling system
that incorporates many improvements
in terms of waste separation and col-
lection”, says Mr Jiawan.
Coming back to the point on moti-
vation and his continuing investment,
he explains:
“I am very optimistic about the
development space and prospects of
the waste plastics recycling market”
and takes us on a short excursion into
the current state of recycling in China.
“China is a large consumer of plas-
tics and is also an energy-intensive
country, and demand for plastics can
never be satisfied by imports”, says
the Chairman. “China is also in the
stage of pollution control, banning the
import of waste plastics. After the 18th
National Congress of the Communist
Party of China (CPC), “Lush moun-
tains and lucid waters are as valuable
as gold and silver.” has become an
Recycling plant infeed
important national policy. The Chi-
nese government has promulgated a
large number of policies to promote
the development of circular economy.
Apart from that, brand owners for
recycled plastics will also promote the
growth of the recycled plastics market
in China. Apple, Foxconn, Huawei,
Unilever, Procter & Gamble and other
companies have already been seeking
high-quality recycled plastics suppliers
in China. Therefore, plastics recycling
is a general trend with rosy prospects.
He went on: “The recycling of plastics
is generally encouraged all over the
world. Both market and government
measures are being introduced in
this regard. Some large international
brand owners have increased the
proportion of recycled plastics in their
products. The demand in the high-end
chemical fibre industry for example is
pretty high and supply cannot keep
up. Also, the demand for food-grade
recycled plastics is growing in Europe
and America, Japan, South Korea and
Southeast Asia.”
Difficulties also emerged during
the pandemic. Although China was
able to have Covid-19 under con-
trol quite quickly, the company was
forced to adjust its original plans due
to disrupted supply chains and export
business issues.
“Recycling channels have been
under restrictions after the Spring
Festival, crippling our recycling and
production efforts for a long time”,
says Mr Jiawan. “Our imported equip-
ment arrived at the plant in 2019.
PETplanet Insider
Because of the pandemic, it was
impossible for engineers to come
from Europe to install and commis-
sion the production line. The equip-
ment was only installed in October
and then officially put into production
in November 2020, which has greatly
affected our production plan. How-
ever, since production inauguration in
November 2020, we have seen orders
increasing day by day. Our prod-
ucts are very popular in Europe and
America. And while forming a closed
loop of the whole industrial chain, our
company achieves the independent
sale of products in each link, improv-
ing our competitiveness in the market.
Thanks to eight years of investment,
2021 will be the year when Guolong
begins to prosper and really enter
the fast lane of development. Never-
theless, our company has adjusted
business objectives and development
strategies to cope with the impact of
the Covid-19 pandemic. We hope that
the Chinese government will promul-
gate policies to vigorously support the
development of the plastics recycling
industry. For example, China can
consider the mandatory requirements
of Europe and America for manufac-
turers to increase the proportion of
recycled plastics in their products, and
formulate container packaging stand-
ards, thus encouraging the recycling
of waste plastics.”
Plastics have attracted an unwar-
ranted negative image globally in
recent years, mainly as a result of
misinformation and conflicting opin-
ions regarding responsibility for waste
Vol. 22 No. 07+08/21 www.petpla.net
 21 21

MATERIALS / RECYCLING

MATERIALS / RECYCLING
Tomra Autosort for bottle sorting

handling which we also touched on. How

does Guolong Plastics currently see and
position itself as a recycler?

“First of all, plastics are the only

viable option in the most diverse areas.
However, it is vital that these materials
are recycled properly in order to prevent
environmental pollution. Governments in
Europe and the USA have been increas-
ingly addressing this issue, with well-
known corporations gradually following
suit by raising awareness and promoting
responsible recycling. Here, the Chinese
authorities are also increasingly manag-
ing the circular economy issue by taking
the measures I mentioned earlier and this
will become a life-long opportunity for us
that will bring exceptional growth opportu-
nities”, said Mr Jiawan.

Mr Jiawan explained what these will

be, mainly with the use of figures: “This
year, Guolong will continue to expand
the recycled ABS project with an annual
output of 200,000 t and the recycled
PP project with an annual output of
80,000 t. Guolong plans to recycle and
treat 530,000 t of waste plastics annu-
ally by 2022. The annual output of over
400,000 t of recycled plastic products
means over US$ 620 million of yearly
sales revenue. Given favourable policies
and a thriving economy, China’s domestic
plastics recycling market will embrace a
huge development opportunity. Like an
ambitious young man, I remain optimistic
about Guolong’s growth prospects. I will
lead Guolong to further tap the local mar-
kets in Guangxi Province, and gradually
expand our business operations across
China.”

www.guolongplastic.com
www.tomra.com

ENDLESS INNOVATION SINCE 1919

PETplanet Insider Vol. 22 No. 07+08/21 www.petpla.net

22
MATERIALS / RECYCLING
FDA approval for Kreyenborg
infrared rotary drum
Recycling and Circular Economy are highly topical issues among both end consumers and
legislators today, while plastic package and wrap are regarded critically in the food industry
in general and in particular. When using PET post-consumer recycling ware for packages
with direct food contact, however, a so-called Super Clean Process authorised by the FDA
and / or EFSA is currently required and will be needed all the more in future.
With its IR-Clean System, Kreyen-
borg offers an attractive alternative for
the subsequent use of PET post-con-
sumer ware - this system allows direct
decontamination without any kind of
vacuum technology. On the basis of
the experience gained with manifold
installed IRD crystallisation and drying
systems, the focus in the development
of the IR-Clean (R) was in the first
instance focused on the requirements
and ancillary conditions prevailing in
PET sheet extrusion processes. In
these applications, a fairly high portion
of recycled material originating from
in-house and post-consumer flakes in
the form of ground PET bottle flakes
has always been fed into the pro-
cess. PET post-consumer recycling
ware, however, is used at 100% on
very few occasions. This is due to the
given circumstances in film production
cycles, where edge trim and skeleton
scrap from the thermoforming process
are fed into the extrusion process on
a regular basis. These are classified
as post-industrial ground stock and do
not need any Super Clean Process. In
establishing standards and collecting
systems even for PET trays, it is fore-
seeable that these will be available as
post-consumer ware in the near future
as well and will thus be a useful com-
plement to the rPET bottle flakes which
are used almost exclusively today. As
a result, this so-called tray-to-tray recy-
cling process will open up even more
potential for the use of rPET and, thus,
for the R-Clean system.
However, Super Clean Recycling
Processes applied for the decon-
tamination of PET flakes are in most
cases based on the technically com-
plex bottle-to-bottle processes, which
do not only require food suitability, but
also the development of intrinsic vis-
cosity (iV) by Solid State Polyconden-
sation (SSP). The vacuum technology
required for this purpose is relatively
expensive and requires intensive
maintenance, though, due to the high
complexity of the equipment needed.
But as PET sheet extrusion requires
much lower viscosities as compared
to pre-form production processes, the
increase of the Intrinsic Viscosity (IV)
is in principle unnecessary. Even in
preform systems, direct processing of
rPET flakes has meanwhile become
possible from a technical point of view
- but in these cases, the portion of
recycled material remains in the lower
range of double-digit percentages, so
that the impact on viscosity is insignifi-
cant here as well.
These special aspects of PET
sheet extrusion have been taken into
account consistently in the develop-
ment of the IR-Clean concept, aimed
at offering an effective, but at the same
time easily and cost-efficiently man-
ageable solution to end users, which
can also be applied and retrofitted
independently of the extruder type.
Optimisation of
a proven principle
The IR-Clean represents an
optimisation of the well-proven and
already successfully used Infrared
Rotary Drum (IRD) in terms of process
technology. The standard process
of crystallisation and drying of PET
post-consumer bottle flakes in the
IRD has been modified by a number
of development features inside the
machine and new process parameters
- this has resulted in remarkably good
decontamination results, which have
been proven in several challenge
tests carried out in collaboration with
the Fraunhofer Institute IVV, Freising,
Germany.
PETplanet Insider
The key to the good results lies
in the general functional principle of
the Infrared Rotary Drum - the small
quantity treated in the process and
the continuous movement of the
material ensure a permanent surface
exchange of the recycling material
to be treated. At the same time, the
material is continually circulated in the
helical flights of the rotary drum and is
in this way conveyed towards the sur-
face by a repetitive movement. Addi-
tionally, the helix welded inside the
rotary drum guarantees an accurately
defined flow of material (first-in / first-
out) - which is an important aspect as
regards the process monitoring and
documentation requirements.
This good mixing behaviour inside
the rotary drum then combines the
IR-Clean with the quick and direct
heat input by infrared radiation. High
temperatures can be achieved within
just a few minutes thanks to the halo-
gen radiation used, for the material is
heated up directly without resorting to
the influx of hot air. These are two of
the most important criteria to fulfil for
an efficient decontamination process:
surface and temperature. Through-
out this process, the IR-Clean basic
concept can completely do without
cooling water or pre-conditioned
process air and - above all - without
any expensive and high maintenance
vacuum systems.
Vol. 22 No. 07+08/21 www.petpla.net

Modular concept even as a
retrofit solution for existing
PET systems
Crystallisation and drying are
the key elements of the IR-Clean
concept. While various required
residual humidity rates are already
distinguished in the drying process,
delimitation of the performance is to
be regarded as a possible feature
depending on the specific application
in the food grade process as well. The
IR-Clean as a basic component con-
sists of a continuously working infra-
red system alone and - by reducing
the residence time to significantly less
than one hour - achieves the values
imposed by the FDA within one single
process step. The residual humidity
levels of <300 ppm achieved simul-
taneously are perfectly adequate for
multi-screw extruders or single screw
extruders including a degassing facil-
ity. If lower limit values are required,
as they can for instance partly be
imposed by the European EFSA, it will
be possible to extend the system by
installing a downstream finisher, thus
creating an IR-Clean+ system. This
equipment allows an even greater
reduction of the residual quantities of
contaminants with high boiling points
such as benzophenone and achiev-
ing drying values of <50 ppm as a
side effect. These features even allow
the strict limits specified by the EFSA
for bottle-to-bottle applications to be
achieved. Depending on the portion
of recycled material, this recondition-
ing process can still be kept very
short, not exceeding a total residence
time of between <1.5 to <2.5 hours.
Exactly like in IRD Drying Systems,
the overall energy use can be reduced
by up to 30% as compared to con-
ventional systems. This is due to the
fact that the material pre-dried and
perfectly pre-heated in the IRD is
PETplanet Insider Vol. 22 No. 07+08/21
transferred into the second drying or
decontamination step, whereby the
air volume and the heating capacity in
the after-drying system / finisher can
be considerably minimised.
Both IR-Clean variants achieve
the required values imposed by the
FDA / EFSA already during the solid
phase, i.e. independently of the
plasticising or extrusion processes.
Consequently, retrofitting of existing
extruders (single screw, twin screw
or multi-screw systems) is possible
without any problems. What is more,
possibilities do not just open up in the
extrusion sector, but in PET preform
applications as well. Meanwhile, the
latest developments in the area of
plasticising units of injection mould-
ing machines even permit the direct
admixture of rPET flakes to the virgin
material. As a pre-drying process of
several hours is also indispensable
in any case, a combination of the IR-
Clean basic unit with existing preform
systems is the ideally suited solution.
Apart from conveying and transport
technology, filtration units and demist-
ers, the package developed by Krey-
enborg includes a comprehensive set
of control systems that allow complete
process monitoring, including the doc-
umentation of process parameters.
www.petpla.net
23
MATERIALS / RECYCLING
Results of the challenge test
In the first step, commercial PET
bottle flakes were used, which were
contaminated with pre-defined model
contaminants deliberately. The flake
material so prepared was exposed to
a customary washing process (15 min
at 75 °C with 1% of sodium hydrox-
ide), then flushed with cold water and
pre-dried mechanically. This wash-
ing process is part of the recycling
process to be contemplated, but is
already performed by the supplier of
the PET flakes.
The washed flake material was
treated in the IR-Clean process, then
analysed and submitted to a migra-
tion evaluation procedure. The results
have shown a cleaning efficiency
of the IR-Clean process of 96-99%
depending on the surrogate. On the
basis of these values, a Letter of Non-
Objection was issued by the US Food
and Drug Administration FDA, which
certifies the safety and soundness of
the use of packaging material with a
100% rPET portion under the criteria
C-G using the IR-Clean. The results
may also be used within the bounds
of the limit values determined by the
European Authority for Food Safety,
EFSA. To make its assessment, how-
ever, the EFSA specifies 365 days at
25 °C for use of a packaging material,
which corresponds for instance to a
PET bottle for mineral water. In addi-
tion, EFSA’s evaluation makes distinc-
tions with respect to consumers and
admissible values for babies, toddlers
and adults.
According to the company, the IR-
Clean is an efficient and cost-effective
concept which can be retro-fitted to
existing PET systems.
www.kreyenborg.com
24
MOULD MAKING

Pushing the core- or care-lock design. If the clamping

pressure is distributed across two cones,
users benefit from reduced component
wear and a finer mould separation line.

boundaries of The development team also focused

on effective heat dissipation in all its
moulding components. Optimum cooling,

cavity numbers with

even in the smallest space, is the basis
for short cycle times and high-quality
preforms.

upgrade moulds Reducing the

ecological footprint
In the preform design, the new
mould design offers clearances up to
For many years, multi-cavity moulds represented the state 30 mm in the support ring diameter, up
of the art in injection moulding technology. The moulds to 26 mm in the outer thread diameter
manufactured by MHT AG in Hochheim, Germany, produce and up to 21 mm in the body diameter
of the preform. This ideally positions
a large number of preforms in a single cycle. Their spectrum these new upgrade moulds for many
ranges from 2 to 192 mould cavities. However, injection lightweight applications currently finding
moulders don’t allow for a free selection of the number of their way into the beverage industry all
available cavities: The machine imposes clear limits on the over the world. Even during transport,
the upgrade moulds yield a reduction
mould design. The purchase of a new machine to increase in CO2 emissions. Due to the reduced
output is often not a real option. mould cavity distance, the weight of a
144-cavity upgrade mould is reduced to
that of a 128-cavity standard mould. The
loads on the machine remain constant
due to the comparable total mass of all
moving parts. This in turn has a positive
effect on the cycle time.

During production, the numerous

A patent-pending mould family upgrades the Sacmi IPS400 and IPS 300 machine
utilisation.
So what alternatives are available to
injection moulding companies to increase
their production output in a significant
way? Many years ago, MHT was the
first mould manufacturer to introduce an
upgrade for all common 3000 kN and
4000 kN PET systems. Exclusively for
MHT’s partner Sacmi, MHT designed a
patent-pending upgrade mould family
that maximises the machine utilisation of
the Sacmi IPS400 as well as the IPS300
– the novel Nano mould series.
A Nano upgrade for
mould manufacturing
For the first time, these upgrade
moulds make it possible to operate a
Sacmi IPS400 with a 144-cavity mould
and a Sacmi IPS300 with a 128-cavity
mould. This represents a new milestone
in maximum machine utilisation. In order
to realise the Nano pitch mould cavity
spacing of 45 mm x 111 mm, the develop-
ers came up with an entirely new stack
design. The greatest challenge was
implementing all mould nest compo-
nents in a significantly reduced space.
Despite the minimised dimensions and
the attendant thinner wall thicknesses,
MHT offers users durable components,
as usual. This is, among other things,
guaranteed by the use of a material
specially adapted for this application. In
combination with this, MHT also relies
on the guaranteed utilisation of the
many advantages of a cavity with lock-
ing cones on both sides, the so-called
cavities in a small space contribute to
energy savings during each injection
moulding cycle. All in all, 12.5% more
preforms are produced in the usual
production area. For the hot runner, this
means less heating energy per preform,
shorter flow channels and a lower pres-
sure reduction. Producers can optimise
their ecological footprint and reduce pro-
duction costs at the same time.
For precise melt guidance to the cavi-
ties, MHT relies on the latest generation
of hot runners. Thanks to the cooperation
with Sacmi, the OptiRun is receiving suffi-
cient hot runner zones. Operators benefit
from uniform heating of the melt with the
associated increased process stability.
Test results indicate a lower and uniform
AA level (acetaldehyde level) in the PET.
The cooperation between Sacmi and
MHT offers IPS300 and IPS400 operators
with a desire for higher output a compara-
tively cost-effective solution. Looking to
the future, MHT aims to develop addi-
tional Nano upgrades in order to generate
maximum output despite limited machine
sizes.
www.mht-ag.com

PETplanet Insider Vol. 22 No. 07+08/21 www.petpla.net

 25

MOULD MAKING

PETplanet Insider Vol. 22 No. 07+08/21 www.petpla.net

 26
BOTTLE MAKING
BOTTLE MAKING

Quality control, fast-track material development and bottle prototyping

Optimising bottle production

With growing environmental awareness, there is an increased
uptake of sustainable materials by the bottle indus-
try, such as recycled PET, bio-materials and
additives. Their different compositions,
when compared to typical polymers
(e.g. virgin PET), means that there
is a need to better monitor their
influence on the blowing behav-
iour of the preform during stretch
blow moulding (SBM) to ensure
the quality of the final bottle. The
latest state of the art instrument
n from Blow Moulding Technologies
(BMT), Blowscan, has been specifi-
cally designed with this in mind. The
technology became a valuable tool for
BMT’s partners Logoplaste and PepsiCo for
providing confidence for successful bottle production.
Blowscan was developed to or industrial-standard near-infrared ties using a modular ‘roll-in, roll-out’
provide users with the capability (IR) heating are available as means of subassembly. With either set-up, the
to quantify the effects of blowing heating. The purpose of two heating bottle is ejected from the blowing sta-
behaviour and understand variations methods is to isolate and assess the tion and is deposited into a collection
in preform quality and material most influential properties of the pre- drawer for the user to retrieve and
performance. It was born out of an form, that being the mechanical and inspect.
EPSRC €1M collaborative partnership the optical properties. Oil bath heating
involving BMT, Queen’s University disregards the colour of the preform When the mould is removed, and
Belfast, Sidel, Logoplaste, Procter and provides a consistent and reliable the preform is allowed to deform
and Gamble, Husky and Pack 3.0. temperature profile that reveals the freely, a considerable amount of detail
The machine has been designed to pure mechanical properties. The IR can be extracted regarding the pre-
flexibly interchange between free- heating can be regarded as a more form quality and material behaviour.
blow and mould-blow modes. This standard, industrial approach that During the free-blow process, the pre-
unique dual functionality is intended to provides a realistic temperature profile form temperature, inflation pressure
provide a low-cost, efficient approach with the knowledge that it is influ- and blowing geometry can all be com-
to troubleshoot preform manufacturing enced by preform colour. The desired pared against a reference preform.
and bottle blowing problems, whilst blowing method can be selected prior To identify any changes in preform
at the same time enabling pre- to testing, with Blowscan offering quality within a batch, evaluating the
production prototyping capability for free-blow and mould blow capabili- difference in blowing behaviour with
new bottle development projects.

How does it work?

Blowscan has been developed
as a lab-based stretch-blow machine
that features bespoke instrumentation
to investigate the complexities of the
preform-to-bottle process. It utilises
a pre-loaded batch feed system, as
opposed to a continuous preform
feed. This removes the need for ancil-
lary equipment, such as conveyors,
hoppers and unscramblers, consider-
ably reducing the footprint. Oil bath Blowscan operational flow

PETplanet Insider Vol. 22 No. 07+08/21 www.petpla.net


respect to a reference is vital — this is
the principle of Blowscan. The differ-
ence in blowing behaviour is quan-
tified and a verdict on the preform
condition can be made. Additionally,
with the mould kit, the operator is able
to test the desired bottle design while
maintaining the same heating and
blowing parameters. This allows for
rapid bottle prototyping without inter-
rupting the production lines.
Who benefits?
Blowscan is claimed to offer a
number of benefits across all sectors
of the supply chain. Through the use
of the instrument, material produc-
ers can quickly and efficiently assess
the blowing potential of novel mate-
rials, without the need for cumber-
some industrial equipment. Preform
manufacturers can identify the quality
of preform batches as they are pro-
duced, which in turn provides con-
verters with confidence. Finally, both
converters and brand owners have
the added benefit of producing small
runs of bottle prototypes without inter-
rupting production.
Case studies
Case study 1 –
Recycled material type
Blowing geometry (rPET and flake)
PETplanet Insider Vol. 22 No. 07+08/21
Working with Logoplaste Innova-
tion Lab, BMT’s Blowscan was used
to investigate the difference in blow-
ing behaviour between rPET preforms
manufactured from resin and from
flake. Logoplaste Europe R&D Direc-
tor, Francisco Alves, stated, “At the
end of 2019, we challenged BMT, with
Logoplaste’s assistance, to develop a
lab version of their Indicate machine to
use as a quality control and develop-
ment tool. This allowed us to address
characterisation needs that we can’t
meaningfully access today with con-
ventional characterisation techniques”.
The preform geometry, heating
conditions (oil bath and IR) and blow-
ing parameters were fixed for both
materials. From the trials, the preform
temperature, inflation pressure and
blowing geometry (via edge detection)
were analysed. Oil bath trials revealed
that there was no difference between
the mechanical properties of the two
preform types. However, the IR heat-
ing process produced two different
temperature profiles and as a result,
the blowing geometry exposed a differ-
ence in blowing behaviour. The result
of the ‘hotter’ rPET preform during IR
heating was a free-blow bottle that had
a 12% larger deformation. In addition,
the increased temperature created an
earlier onset of deformation by 30 ms.
In a process that takes a fraction of a
second, this can be significant for the
bottle properties, particularly material
distribution and as a result, the in-
service performance.
Blowscan was used to examine
the change in material properties and
quantify the shift in process para-
meters required to produce the same
blowing behaviour as the reference
preform. In this study, a 5% oven
power increase allowed the flake pre-
form to blow with the same behaviour
as the rPET preform. This finding is
vital for bottle production when imple-
menting new materials and identifying
an appropriate process window.
Alves summarised, “This equip-
ment will be a strong complement on
the preform quality control plan for our
operation’s most challenging applica-
tions. This will improve our ability to
link new preform and bottle designs
to material properties, allowing higher
efficiencies, enabling lighter weights
and providing more sustainable solu-
tions to our customers.”
www.petpla.net
27
BOTTLE MAKING
Case study 2 – rPET content
For this case study, an investiga-
tion was conducted for PepsiCo to
examine the difference in blowing
behaviour between different rPET
resins, by varying the post-consumer
resin (PCR) percentage. Virgin, 25%
PCR and 100% PCR preforms were
analysed using Blowscan.
Effect of PCR increase on blowing
behaviour relative to virgin
As the % PCR content was
increased, there was a significant
change in the blowing behaviour for
both IR and oil bath heated preforms.
The 100% PCR preform demonstrated
a 31.9% and 27.2% shift in blowing
capability for oil bath and IR heating,
respectively, when compared to virgin
preforms. This indicated that, in this
instance, the increase in PCR mate-
rial influences both the mechanical
properties and optical properties of
the preform, and as before, a change
in blowing behaviour will result in a
change in bottle performance. Know-
ing how a change in material com-
position (be it PCR content, amount
of additives, colour, preform age,
moisture etc) influences the blowing
behaviour allows the user to make
informed decisions as to how best to
implement the blowing process and
ultimately, benefit production.
PepsiCo’s Max Rodriguez, Sr.
Manager, Global Packaging R&D,
concluded, “BMT compliments Pep-
siCo’s Global Packaging R&D’s inter-
nal capabilities, by providing structural
FEA support, SBM PET material char-
acterisation, and package develop-
ment research collaboration. The
Blowscan unit will allow us to expand
our internal capabilities across several
areas, including packaging innovation,
sustainability, productivity, and brand
stewardship.
www.bmt-ni.com
28
MARKET SURVEY

MARKETsurvey 

Resins & additives
Preform machinery

07+08/2021  Preform production & inspection

systems
 Preform & SBM mould manufacturer
 SBM 2-stage
 Compressors
Compressors  Caps & closures & inspection systems
 Filling equipment & inspection systems
Compressors – not often in the spotlight perhaps, yet a vitally important
component of PET production, and with significant potential of energy saving.  Recycling machinery
Our annual market survey takes a closer look at these unsung heroes of the  Palletising & shrink film machinery
PET industry, featuring six compressor manufacturers and their product range:

ABC Compressors, Kaeser Kompressoren SE, Siad Macchine Impianti, AF Com-

pressors - Ateliers François S.A., Gardner Denver Ltd - Bellis & Morcom, Hertz
Kompressoren GmbH and Nanjing Shangair Machinery Manufacturing Co.,Ltd.

Although the publishers have made every effort to ensure that the information in this survey are up to date, no claims are
made regarding completeness or accuracy.

Company name ABC Compressors Kaeser Kompressoren SE AF Compressors, Ateliers François S.A.
Postal address Pol. Ind. Azitain 6, Carl-Kaeser-Str. 26, Ateliers François, Rue Côte d'Or 274,
20600, Eibar, Spain 96450 Coburg, Germany Liège B-4000, Belgium
Telephone number +34 943 820 400 +49 9561 640 0 +32 4 229 70 10
Web site address www.abc-compressors.com www.kaeser.com www.afcompressors.com
Contact name Mr Gonzalo Gabarain Mr Henry Beyer Mr Pascal Heyden
Function Sales & Marketing Manager Produkt Manager Kolbenkompressoren Marketing Manager
Direct telephone number +34 647 413 760 +49 9561 640 5017 +352 26 95 66 28
E-Mail ggabarain@abc-compressors.com henry.beyer@kaeser.de pascal.heyden@afcompressors.com

1. Machine designation / model number Horizon | Horizon LP Sigma PET Air CE, L for 20 bar to 40 bar units, OPC for 7 bar
to 10 bar units
2. Number of models in range 30+ models 25 High pressure units: 30 models, low pressure
units: 22 units.
3. Output in m³/hour 250 - 6,000 336 - 2,772 300 m³/h to 3,300 m³/h for high pressure,
7.2 m³/min to 58 m³/min for low pressure
(ISO1217:2009)
4. Compressor type Oil-free reciprocating piston compressor "all-in-one" skid
Low pressure air Low pressure oil-free piston compressor Screw type L shape, 2-stage piston reciprocating oil-free
air compressor (7 bar & 10 bar)
High pressure blowing air (up to 40 bar) High pressure oil-free piston compressor (atmospheric up to 40 bar) Piston type L shape, 3-stage piston reciprocating piston
oil-free air compressor (20 bar up to 40 bar)
Integrated system Atmospheric compressor including VSD with largest regulation range from All-in-One, 3-stage reciprocating piston oil
18% to 100% of the capacity free air compressor
5. Lubricated or oil-free 100% oil-free compressor class 0
Low pressure compressor 100% oil-free compressor class 0 Lubricated OPC range for oil free air 7 bar and 10 bar
units.
Booster compressor Not needed, it’s an atmospheric HP compressor. Lubricated 0-40 bar oil free reciprocating compressor
Integrated system Atmospheric 100% oil-free compressor class 0 All-in-one system high and low pressure
6. Machine layout Horizontal opposed cylinders, forces balanced and virtually no vibrations "V" (2 cylinder), "W" (3 cylinder) L shape
7. Number of compressor stages 2 for LP and 3-4 for HP 1+1 2 stages, 2 cylinders for low pressure, 3
stages, 3 cylinders for high pressure
8. Are special foundations required ? No, virtually no vibrations No No
9. Cooling system Water cooled (closed cooling tower or aerocooler) Air (water option) Radiator cooler or evaporative closed cooling
tower
10. Belt or direct drive Direct drive Transmission belt
Low pressure compressor Direct drive Direct Low pressure 7bar 10 bar, transmission belt
Booster compressor Not needed, atmoshperic HP direct drive Belt 0-40 bar compressor, transmission belt
Integrated system Direct drive All-in-one system, transmission belt

PETplanet Insider Vol. 22 No. 07+08/21 www.petpla.net

 29

MARKET SURVEY
Company name Gardner Denver Ltd - Siad Macchine Impianti Hertz Kompressoren GmbH Nanjing Shangair Machinery
Belliss & Morcom Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
Postal address Claybrook Drive, Redditch, Via Canovine, 2/4, export@hertz-kompressoren.com No.1, Xiyan Road, Binjiang Economic Develop-
Birmingham B98 0DS 24126 Bergamo, Italy ment Zone Jiangning District, Nanjing, China
Telephone number +44 1527 838 600 +39 035 327611 +49 951 9643 13 88 +86 25 86408239
Web site address www.gardnerdenver.com www.siadmi.com www.hertz-kompressoren.com www.shangair.com
Contact name Mr Trevor Perry Mr Giovanni Brignoli Mr Ercan Asmaz Mr Edward Zhou
Function Sales Director Compressors Division, Food & Beverage Product Leader Sales Manager / Europe Overseas Sales Manager
Direct telephone number +44 1527 838 601 +39 035 327609 & +39 035 327694 +49 533 962 64 22 +86 1519595 1347
E-Mail trevor.perry@gardnerdenver.com giovanni_brignoli@siad.eu ercanasmaz@hertz-kompressoren.com rusia@shangair.com

1. Machine designation / model VH7 to WH50 Vito Next BS Line Pet Master VSD 180 (PET Master WM
number Series & PET Master VSD Series)
2. Number of models in range 13 32 19 PET Master 50/75/100/125/150/18 2
0/220/270/300 & PET Master VSD
75/125/180/220/300
3. Output in m³/hour 417 - 3,229 m3/h FAD 100 - 6,000 1,000 – 6,000 810 60 ~ 72
4. Compressor type 3 stage Reciprocating High pressure blow- High pressure blowing air (up to 40 bar)
ing air (up to 40 bar)
Low pressure air Yes Low pressure screw
High pressure blowing air (up Yes Piston High pressure piston (booster) Reciprocating
to 40 bar)
Integrated system Yes 60 m3/min, 72 m3/min, air tank 150 l
5. Lubricated or oil-free Oil free Oil free Oil-free (high pressure compressor) Oil splash lubricate
Low pressure compressor No Oil free 30 bar
Booster compressor No Oil free
Integrated system Yes Yes Yes
6. Machine layout VH and WH V and H (horizontal) V 4,192 x 1,977 x 2,814
7. Number of compressor 3 3 2 screw + 2 booster = 4 total 3 2
stages
8. Are special foundations No No No Yes No
required?
9. Cooling system Yes Water Water Water-cooled Air cooling
10. Belt or direct drive Direct Drive via Shaftless Motor Belt drive Belt
Low pressure compressor No Direct drive Belt
Booster compressor No Belt drive
Integrated system Yes

Let Your Inspiration Flow. EDITOURS

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The worldwide round trip with Autumn 2021 - 2022

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PETplanet Insider Vol. 22 No. 07+08/21 www.petpla.net
30
BOTTLE MAKING
BOTTLE MAKING

Food grade sample bottles produced

by a global consortium using
enzymatic recycling process

On the road to
industrial scale
A global consortium that includes French biochemical com-
pany Carbios, Nestlé Waters, L’Oréal Biotherm, PepsiCo
and Suntory Beverage & Food Europe, has unveiled proto-
types for food grade recycled PET bottles, produced as part Jean-Claude Lumaret, CEO Carbios
of the project to support the industrialisation of a technology
that allows plastic to be endlessly recycled while maintaining
Nestlé’s Research and Devel-
properties virtually equivalent to virgin plastics. opment Centre for Waters in Vittel,
France, has produced the first Perrier
50 cl prototype bottles made from
Global consumer
brands unveil world’s coloured recycled PET materials. The
first enzymatically prototypes, which were thoroughly
recycled bottles tested in terms of safety, quality,
and performance, were adapted to
withstand the pressure of carbon-
ated water while incorporating the
iconic design and green colour of the
Perrier bottle. Nestlé’s R&D exper-
tise and infrastructure was leveraged
to create bottle preforms using the
technology for other Carbios consor-
tium members, who have produced
demonstration sample bottles for
products including L’Oréal Biotherm
skincare range; PepsiCo Pepsi Max,
and Suntory Beverage & Food Europe
Orangina.

COMPLETE TECHNICAL SOLUTION

FROM PCR PET BOTTLES TO 100% FOOD GRADE RPET PELLETS
- FDA Approval - Low TCO (Total Cost of Ownership)
- Energy Saving - Low Loss

“ Bottle-to-Bottle”

CHINAPLAS 2021
meet us in hall6 C41

CONTACT US TO LEARN MORE ! WWW.BO-RE-TECH.COM | +86-573-85120186 | SALES@BO-RE-TECH.COM

PETplanet Insider Vol. 22 No. 07+08/21 www.petpla.net


The technology aims to endlessly recy-
cle plastic while maintaining properties
that are equivalent to virgin material.
The announcement and dem-
onstrations come after 10 years’
research and development by Carbios
to create a process using an enzyme
that naturally occurs in compost
heaps, which normally breaks down
leaf membranes of dead plants.
Carbios adapted the enzyme and
fine-tuned the technology to break
down any kind of PET plastic, regard-
less of colour or complexity, into its
basic building blocks, which can then
be turned back into like-new, virgin-
quality plastic. The new material can
be used in food-grade rPET; plastics
that would otherwise go to waste or
be incinerated, can now be brought
back into a continuous circular system
of recycling.
The breakthrough biotechnology
succeeds in breaking down 97% of
plastic in 16 hours, which is 10,000
times more efficient than any biologi-
PETplanet Insider Vol. 22 No. 07+08/21
cal plastic recycling trial to date. While
recycled PET bottles already exist
in the marketplace, this technology,
when developed at industrial scale,
will help increase the amount of PET
plastic that can be recycled.
The brands involved in the con-
sortium will work to scale the new
process to help meet the global
demand for sustainable packaging
solutions.
In September 2021, Carbios will
break ground on a demonstration
plant, before launching a 40,000 t
capacity industrial facility, by 2025.
Enzymatic recycling overcomes
the issue of degradation in conven-
tional recycling and can be used on
any type of PET plastic. Because Car-
bios’ recycling process works under
mild conditions, it could also lower the
carbon footprint of PET waste treat-
ment by saving 30% of CO2 emissions
compared to a conventional end of life
mix of incineration and landfill, taking
virgin PET production substitution into
account. “In a world first, we have
created food-grade clear bottles from
enzymatically recycled coloured and
complex plastic, with identical proper-
ties to virgin PET,” said Carbios’ CEO
Jean Claude Lumaret. “In partnership
with the Consortium, we have proved
the viability of the technology with the
world’s leading brands. This is a truly
transformational innovation that could
finally fully close the loop on PET
plastic supply globally, so that it never
becomes waste.”
Innovative hotrunner optiRun
www.petpla.net
31
BOTTLE MAKING
Jean-Francois Briois, Head of
Packaging Material Science and Envi-
ronmental Sustainability for Nestlé
Waters global R&D also welcomed the
success of the 10-year project. “It is
very exciting to see that the quality of
the prototype bottles made from 100%
coloured recycled PET materials is
virtually identical to clear virgin PET,”
he said. “When we reach industrial
scale, this enzymatic recycling tech-
nology will enable us to produce high-
quality rPET bottles and help Nestlé in
its journey to reduce the use of virgin
plastics.”
L’Oréal has been working with
Carbios on the project since 2017.
Jacques Playe, L’Oréal’s Global Head
of Packaging and Product Develop-
ment, described it as a promising
innovation for the coming years and
a demonstration of the company’s
circularity initiative that was embarked
upon more than 15 years ago. “The
global issue of plastic waste requires
transformational thinking, creative
partnerships and innovative brands
coming together to seek out new
solutions,” observed Ron Khan, Chief
R&D Officer, Suntory Beverage &
Food Europe, which has the ambition
of achieving 100% sustainable plastic.
Carbios intends to license its tech-
nology to PET manufacturers world-
wide, with the intention of accelerat-
ing the global adoption of enzymatic
recycling for all kinds of PET based
products.
www.carbios.com
www.nestle.com
German
Technology
November 7-9, 2021, Dubai
At the KRONES booth
A1-34
32
BOTTLE MAKING
BOTTLE MAKING

A new peak: Bottle production

The ergonomic bottle is transpar-
ent with a tint of green that highlights

APF-6004 blow its natural origin, life and energy. The

bottle shoulders resemble a drop of
water that forms high in the mountains

moulder at Sairme
at the source of the river. This is where
Sairme Mineral Waters Ltd collects
water. Narrowing in the centre of the
bottle gives the impression of a swift

Mineral Waters
running mountain river. The applied
technology played a crucial role in the
manufacturing of this bottle. Intense
preform heating and simultaneous
air-cooling guarantee a uniform tem-
Another APF-6004 blow moulder by PET Technologies has perature distribution between the inner
reached Sakartvelo, or Georgia, as it is known everywhere and outer wall. 8-zone heating and
else. Sairme Mineral Waters Ltd brought the equipment and the facility to move the lamps in any
position guaranteed that this complex
installed it in the very heart of one of the biggest spa resorts bottle meets the predetermined char-
in Europe. It is the land of high mountains with picturesque acteristics, even if it is 100% rPET.
y the land of mountain rivers and springs.
valleys; p g
Partnership
The roots of the fruitful coopera-
tion between PET Technologies and
Sairme Mineral Waters Ltd go back to
2015. At that time, the bottling com-
pany was seeking a reliable supplier
of blow moulds for 6-10 l bottles. PET
Technologies seemed an attractive
proposition due to the manufactur-
ing facilities equipped with 4-, 5-axis
machining centres and guaranteed
terms of delivery. This first contact
turned out to be successful. In 2017
the companies launched a second
project together. This was also about
blow moulds for up to 2 l bottles and
bottles. Equipment developed by Sairme Mineral Waters Ltd installed
PET Technologies helps to produce an automatic PET SBM machine of
Sairme waters have been famous the latter. Recently, Sairme Mineral European manufacture. They perfectly
since 1893. In Georgian the name Waters Ltd expanded its manufactur- matched the equipment. This second
“Sairme” means “the place where deer ing facilities and installed an APF- touch also turned out to be success-
dwell”. The bottling plant is located in 6004 blow moulder. ful. In 2019 PET Technologies was
Western Georgia, 950 m above sea again successful, when Sairme Mineral
level, in the resort of Sairme. The PET Technologies supplied Sairme Waters Ltd chose PET Technolo-
modern Sairme Mineral Waters Ltd Mineral Waters with a turnkey solu- gies as a supplier of SBM machines.
plant was inaugurated in 2006. Since tion; from the design of the PET bot- The bottling company was looking for
then its spring water has become tles to start-up and final commission- alternatives instead of the blow mould-
widely known for a unique balanced ing of the APF-6004 blow moulder. ing equipment for small bottles that
concentration of calcium, magnesium The training of Sairme technical staff they were currently using. A previous
and sodium. It is shipped to 17 coun- and the aftersales service was an successful project for 500 ml, 1.5 l and
tries of the world. integral component of the contract. 2.0 l moulds, carried out in 2017, was a
Thanks to a quick mould change strong point in favour of PET Technolo-
This is where packaging comes Sairme is now able to produce the gies. Additionally, PET Technologies
in. The role of the bottle increases whole range of bottles from 500 ml to developed the design of these bottles
with distance. The more kilometres 2 l. The company can switch from one taking into account the nature of the
that lie between the Sairme plant and format to another in 20 minutes. There blowing process. Thus, Sairme Mineral
the final destination of the water, the is no downtime for maintenance, since Waters Ltd was able to achieve a func-
less vulnerable the container should the schedule allows any maintenance tional and yet attractive PET bottle.
be. For this reason, the company fills to be carried out during a shift change
its products both in glass and PET or days off. www.pet-eu.com

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 33

BOTTLE MAKING

PETplanet Insider Vol. 22 No. 07+08/21 www.petpla.net

34
BOTTLE MAKING
BOTTLE MAKING
Bottle design and bottle making
From the seed to success
Italian company Sipa says that it deploys an array of tools in supporting PET bottle makers
create attention-catching designs that can be produced quickly, economically and sus-
tainably. Prototypes are developed with 3D printing as well as more traditional laboratory
machines; software simulation is used to anticipate thermal profile, thickness distribution,
cooling optimisation, and final bottle performance.
rPET bottle design
Knowledge of legal aspects
These technical capabilities
are complemented by understand-
ing of, and adherence to, current
and upcoming regulations relating
to consumer packaging, especially
single-use plastics. In the immediate
future, EU legislation will impact the
PET bottle sector with the require-
ment for tethered caps, which will
affect all bottles up to 3 l in volume.
By 2024, new solutions will need to
be in place, which means there will
be significant changes to production
lines. Sipa is already testing new cap
and neck designs.
The EU is also requiring higher
PET recycled percentage on new bot-
tles, along with higher waste collec-
tion rates.
… and technical
Sipa is already proposing new
lightweight versions of some of the
most widely used neck finishes in the
market for waters, CSDs, edible oils
and hot-fill liquids. The aim is to achieve
material savings without any loss of
performance, using the same closures
and without any changes to handling
on the production line. A new neck ring
is the only change needed by preform
producers in order to switch to the new
designs.
Five steps to design heaven
The company’s design and engi-
neering experts consider not only the
look of a container but also how the
look fits with the identity of the pack-
aged product, how the container feels
PETplanet Insider
and behaves, how easy it is to produce,
how it performs on the filling line, in
storage, and in transport; and – last but
not least – how much it will cost.
A typical design project can be
separated into five steps, starting with
the marketing brief from the client, using
a proprietary Sipa interactive document
to share ideas, inspirations and expec-
tations. Step two covers sketches,
concept ideas, and computer-generated
3D proposals. Step three is production
of prototypes, for which Sipa has been
using 3D printing for several years. The
company maintains that this technology
delivers a look and feel very close to
that of the final product. Sipa employs
various printing technologies to create
prototypes in sizes from 10 ml all the
way up to 4 l. Stereolithography (SLA),
enables the use of a clear, almost
water-white, photopolymer in creation of
hollow parts.
Engineering aspects
Step four tackles the feasibility of
the product, including preform develop-
ment, technical specifications, stretch
ratio calculations and shelf simulation.
The mechanical performance of the
bottle is assessed with the help of Finite
Element Analysis (FEA).
In Step five, technical drawings are
finalised. Preform and bottle production
can be tried and moulded products put
through rigorous laboratory testing, to
confirm computer predictions. Once this
has been carried out to the customer’s
satisfaction, full production can begin.
Use of rPET
The use of post-consumer recy-
cled PET (rPET) in bottle design and
process technologies requires appropri-
ate expertise. Sipa’s designs take into
account differences and variations in
Vol. 22 No. 07+08/21 www.petpla.net
 35

BOTTLE MAKING
processing characteristics of rPET as
well as less obvious factors, such as
the increased level of powder that rPET
processing creates.

The company recently established

the AWArPET brand to advance its
environmentally conscious approach to
the design and production of PET pack-
aging. AWArPET helps to understand
the impact of all packaging details,
including preform colour, glue type and
barrier options. Sipa says that this helps
to, simultaneously, deliver on-shelf
attractiveness and awareness of the
role of recycling in a circular economy.
AWArPET bottles are very light: SIPA
has been involved in a design project
for a 1 l water bottle weighing just 16 g,
far lighter than most such bottles cur-
rently on the market. Sipa’s CAD container design

The cut-glass look

Not so long ago, Sipa helped
bring to market a new PET bottle for
a premium mineral water that was,
historically, packaged in glass. The
challenge was to implement features
such as sharp cuts and angles but
in PET, to give the bottle a cut-glass
look. New renderings were produced
that satisfied the customer’s market-
ing needs as well as the bottle’s func-
tional requirements.
After the switch from glass to PET,
the client gained 16% more market
share while reducing the product’s
carbon footprint by 65 per cent.
www.sipasolutions.com

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PETplanet Insider Vol. 22 No. 07+08/21 www.petpla.net
36
BOTTLE MAKING
BOTTLE MAKING
Packaging that protects the product and looks appealing
Bottles designed around
the product
Belgium-based Resilux offers a
design service to create bot-
tles which are sustainable,
attractive and functional to give
consumers the best product
experience. In this article, the
company takes us through the
steps of the design process,
from initial concept to the fin-
ished product.
The evaluation process
“Initially we carry out extensive
research into our customer’s pre-
cise needs to ensure the final design
meets all their requirements and
expectations,” says Resilux.
After evaluation, the design process
can begin.
The key to a good design is under-
standing the product that is being
bottled: what production process treat-
ment will it need? What shelf life will
it have? At this stage, it is also crucial
to take into consideration the final
product’s distribution channel - will the
product be transported chilled or at
ambient temperature? Or will there be
restrictions due to palletising? Another
important aspect is the ergonomics
and how the product can be made
as user-friendly as possible? Clear
answers to all these questions have
to be evaluated before the design can
begin.
From concept to draft design
The process begins with an initial
idea from the marketing department.
From that initial concept, the Resilux
R&D department will study the project
and make the initial draft design.
Recently, as companies have
become focused more and more on
sustainability, rPET solutions can be
set up for any product. When it comes
to designing a new bottle using rPET,
particular attention has to be paid
to the influence it has on the bottle
colour, stretching ratios and stability
during the blowing process and in the
final bottle.
Another key part of the design
process is to consider how the new
bottle can contribute to minimising
storage and transport costs while
leaving as small a carbon footprint as
possible. In this way, the desire to do
what is right for the planet contin-
ues throughout the process, states
Resilux.
First design proposal
It takes just three days for the com-
pany’s R&D department to optimise all
the project variables, including:
 The customer´s requirements
 Evaluating the different preforms
available in the Resilux portfolio
 Evaluating different resins
 Checking stretching ratios of the
preform/bottle
PETplanet Insider
Based on all these inputs, Resilux
produce a 3D image using CAD 3D
software. Resilux will initially offer a
customer its first proposal including a
2D drawing, a 3D pdf, a rendered 3D
image and a palletising proposal. The
rendered image and 3D pdf can also
be customised with the customer’s
own label design and be simulated to
show what the final, filled product will
look like on the shelf.
Further design changes can be
made in consultation with the customer
until all aesthetic and functional needs
are aligned.
The next step includes producing
a mock-up of the approved design so
that the customer can see the physical
bottle complete with its label to better
appreciate the bottle’s shape and to
compare the design with others. This
mock-up of how people will actually
experience the final product gives the
customer a chance to touch and feel
the new bottle and it helps the R&D
team evaluate if any further improve-
ments are necessary.
Weeks 4-5: first production
After a customer has accepted the
design proposal, a pilot blowing mould
is ordered to produce actual PET
bottles. The blowing mould is manu-
factured within 4-5 weeks of the initial
design approval. Sample bottles will be
blown with different preform designs
and weights.
Vol. 22 No. 07+08/21 www.petpla.net
 37

BOTTLE MAKING
‘Real life’ test on the customer’s production line: Sample bottles are blown with different preform designs and weights.

“This allows the cus-

tomer to choose the most
suitable one for their pro-
cess and do a ‘real life’ test
on their production line,”
explains Resilux.

Delivery: either pre-

forms or blown bottles
When designing a bottle
for a customer, Resilux
aims to add value through
the speed and quality of the
design process. In addi-
tion, they can deliver either
preforms (if the customer
has a blower of their own) or
finished blown bottles from
one of their production units.

www.resilux.com

Belgium-based
Resilux produces PET
bottles and preforms
in Europe and the USA
as well as operating a
PET recycling plant in
Switzerland. Although
listed on the stock
exchange, Resilux is
still a family business
offering customised
products and services
to customers in the
food, drinks and non-
food sectors.

PETplanet Insider Vol. 22

38
BOTTLE MAKING
BOTTLE MAKING
Designing for a closed
loop PET market
With the EU target to incorporate 25% of recycled plastic in PET beverage bottles from
2025, designing for sustainability is coming to the forefront. Avient’s ColorMatrix has a
range of additives which can be part of the solution.
Based on an article by Nick Ryan, Sales Director EMEA, ColorMatrix, Avient Corporation
When the European Union
announced a 25% rPET target for
2025, two key challenges were obvi-
ous - the availability and price of rPET.
In response to the burgeoning demand
for rPET, mechanical recycling has
seen rapid growth in capacity and
investment; however, deposit scheme
feedstock alone can’t feed the appetite
of this rapidly evolving market.
In addition, other concerns - includ-
ing aesthetics, fluctuating mechanical
properties and Non-Intentionally Added
Substances (NIAS) - have emerged. In
this environment of rapid change and
uncertainty, brand owners, converters
and raw material suppliers are quickly
adapting to balance the interests of
their stakeholders, customers, legisla-
tors and recycling partners.
Sustainability and
brand protection
PET packaging requires a full
design process – aesthetics, addi-
tives with consideration for a content’s
shelf-life and now the addition of rPET
content. Avient states that the quality
of recycled PET can be improved by
its material science solutions such as
additives, scavengers, and toners.
Nothing is more damaging to a
brand than a bad consumer experi-
ence like an off tasting, smelly or dis-
coloured beverage. Content spoilage is
also a significant contributor to overall
carbon emissions, in many cases far
more so than the packaging. This is
why oxygen scavengers are widely
utilised in juice, beer and wine applica-
tions. It is critical that the oxygen bar-
rier protects the beverage right up to
the time of consumption. When using
rPET, this can be a challenge as rPET
content greater than 25% can disrupt
or deactivate existing barrier tech-
nologies. ColorMatrix Amosorb 4020R
is an oxygen scavenger technology
designed with the new rPET environ-
ment in mind, intended to help main-
tain full oxygen scavenging functional-
ity, with no sign of deactivation even in
bottles containing up to 100% recycled
content. Bottles produced with this
oxygen scavenger, in combination with
rPET content, show minimal colour
degradation when processed through
existing recycle streams, says Avient.
At the design stage, when adding
rPET, by selecting a highly heat stable
blue toner, such as Avient’s ColorMa-
trix Optica Toners, the material contin-
ues to tone out natural PET yellowing
throughout its life leading to a cleaner,
clearer rPET stream. These optical
PETplanet Insider
toners can also address the different
behaviour of rPET compared to virgin
PET due to fluctuating IV levels and
variations in stretch. Their inorganic
particles absorb and distribute heat
more evenly throughout the preform
inner and outer wall, overcoming much
of the variation. In multiple commer-
cial applications, this has enabled
bottle blowers to regain lost efficien-
cies, improve bottle performance and
reduce energy usage.
Non-Intentionally Added Sub-
stances are also a challenge in the
closed-loop PET market, where raw
materials can be exposed to each
other inadvertently with the potential
risk of unintended impurities building
up. Legislation is catching up with this
and organisations have to be prepared.
Avient has developed NIAS screen-
ing capabilities for standard colourants
and additives designed to help brands
manage compliance risks.
Where PET bottles cannot return
to the PET bottle stream, the outputs
are ranging from fibre to food trays
and even toy blocks. When decreas-
ing chain length provides a challenge,
whether that be in bottle-to-bottle
rPET production or repairing heav-
ily degraded PET solutions, Avient’s
ColorMatrix RePrize is claimed to
ensure that IV increases of up to 0.2 d/l
are possible. This has been success-
fully used to facilitate the use of 100%
rPET in carbonated applications. The
chain extender also allowed 100% tray
to tray recycling and converted textile
waste into reusable pellets.
www.avient.com
Vol. 22 No. 07+08/21 www.petpla.net
 39
BOTTLE MAKING

BOTTLE MAKING
Rigid biodegradable containers
Spanish company Noven Farmaplás, subsidiary of Novapet, is launching a new
line of biodegradable containers for applications in different food, pharmaceutical,
parapharmaceutical and cosmetic sectors, and for hygiene and cleaning products. This
launch is a result of the company’s technical cooperation with Novapet’s sister company
Nurel; both are part of the Samca, producer and owner of Inzea resins technology.
Combining traditional produc- Inzea F29 TR is a special grade
tion processes, eco-friendliness and for injection blow-moulding that pro-
performance, Inzea polymers are a vides good transparency, depending
leading material for compostable bot- on thickness. It, also, is certified by
tles or jars. They are claimed to offer TUV with the EN 13432-compliant Ok
the same functionality as conventional Compost seal for industrial compost-
polymers but they have the advan- ing and has a maximum thickness of
tage of reconverting the container 1.5 mm. Again, it is an FDA-approved
into compost after use. Two grades grade for food contact and is com-
of Inzea resins are offered by Noven pliant with EN 10/2011. More than
Farmaplás for this new line of rigid 95% of its content is from renewable
containers. sources and it shows good chemical
compatibility.
Inzea F38, a grade specially
designed for extrusion blow-mould- Noven Farmaplás is equipped
ing gives containers a good visual with both extrusion blow-moulding
appearance, with a pearly finish. It is and injection blow-moulding produc-
certified by TUV with the Ok Com- tion lines. Noven Farmaplás says that
post seal (EN 13432 compliant) for this initiative reinforces its environ-
industrial composting. With a maxi- mental commitment with two ranges
mum thickness of 1 mm, it is a grade of sustainable containers. The PET
approved by FDA and is compliant containers are both recyclable them-
with EN 10/2011 European stand- selves and produced with up to 100%
ards on plastic materials and arti- recycled PET, in a fully circular manu-
cles intended to come into contact facturing structure. Biodegradable
with food. With more than 70% of its containers complement the range for
material content is from renewable market segments in which PET has
sources, it has mechanical properties less presence.
comparable to PP and good chemical
compatibility. www.novapet.com

Dimensional and thickness measurements for plastic containers and preforms.

SEE GAWIS4D
IN ACTION
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PETplanet Insider Vol. 22 featuring
No. 07+08/21 AutoJob™– job set up in seconds
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40
BOTTLE MAKING
BOTTLE MAKING

ESL Combox

Combination of PET bottle blowing and

pulsed light decontamination in one machine

3-log decontamination
without chemicals
In the new ESL Combox, the dairy packaging specialist
Serac combines PET bottle blowing and pulsed light
decontamination. This machine won over several dairy
companies by enabling them to emphasise their commitment
to sustainability while expanding the products’ shelf life.
Preform treatment by pulsed light in the
Logarithmic scales are used to chemicals, pulsed light allows dairies ESL Combox
determine what percentage of a germ to guarantee the absence of treat-
is killed by a certain procedure or ment residues in the packaging and to
disinfectant. The logarithmic reduction better manage water resources, both
(log) stands for a germ reduction by a in terms of consumption and effluents.
factor of 10. In Serac’s ESL Combox,
a 3-log decontamination of containers Small footprint
can be achieved which corresponds
to a 99.9% reduction of undesired The ESL Combox combines the
organisms. This is accomplished by blowing, filling and capping functions
combining the blowing of bottles in in a single unit with a footprint up to
a controlled environment just before 25% smaller than that of a conven-
filling and pulsed light treatment of tional filling line, says Serac.
necks and caps. This level of decon-
tamination can be enough for several It is capable of blowing round,
applications to significantly extend the rectangular, oval or complex shaped
shelf life. For example, Serac’s ESL bottles, ranging from 250 ml to 2 l.
Combox is used for fresh white milk And its patented positive neck trans-
with a 30 days shelf life, or for drink- fer system allows different shapes
ing yogurts with a 60 days shelf life in and sizes of bottles to be filled on
Asia. the same machine, with very short
changeover times.
Pulsed light is a fast and efficient
decontamination method. It destroys The machine has been designed
the cell membrane of microorganisms for low to medium output.
and degrades their DNA in less than Cap treatment by pulsed light in the
a millisecond. Using neither water nor www.serac-group.com ESL Combox

PETplanet Insider Vol. 22 No. 07+08/21 www.petpla.net

 41
BOTTLE MAKING

BOTTLE MAKING
Designed for recycling
Creating PET bottles that offer sustainability, reliability, shelf appeal and are in accordance
with regulation requires a combination of expertise, technical equipment and suitable
materials. Global plastic packaging manufacturer Retal develops and produces PET and
rPET preforms, closures, containers, and films. Its R&D, design and sales teams work
closely together to create solutions that meet brand owners’ demands.
Food and beverage brand owners’ “By inputting material properties,
need for on-shelf differentiation must temperatures
be blended with CSR (Corporate Social required for
Responsibility) targets. Julius Barni- blowing and the
skis, design engineer at Retal, explains design elements
how the company works with dedicated into the soft-
software: “Preforms, closures and ware, we can
containers evolve to solve as we go make an expert THE INDUSTRY EXPERTS
deeper into the technical capabilities of judgement as to
our design software,” he says. “We can what will perform
virtually simulate stretch blow moulding, better. We incor-
including wall thickness distribution and porate the tech-
stretch ratio. From that we can analyse nical information
the results or use later. Other scenarios with the design
can show how much pressure the bottle requirements.
withstands and the location of failure
when filled with carbonated drink. In Retal incor-
drop load analysis, an initial velocity porates Design
is applied to the bottle, correspond- for Recycling
ing to drop height and gravitational wherever pos-
acceleration when the bottle collides a sible to increase
rigid floor. Damage regions in the label recyclability and
area or other parts can be visualised also lightweight
with applied clamping force. Top load with different
simulation determines how many bot- grips, stronger
Active for over 25 years, our global network and specialist
tles can be placed on top of each other but lighter ele- knowledge makes us the go-to company for the sale or
before collapsing, which is key informa- ments, and purchase of a PET machine.
tion for packing and palletising. We can clever use of
Commercially savvy, we work closely with our customers and
thoroughly test key parameters without branding ele-
our global network, to make sure everyone gets the best deal.
costly production changes, reduce lead ments such as
time for prototyping and free up valua- laser engraving Providing comprehensive advice throughout your sale or
ble resources.” Simulation enables cus- inside the clo- purchase; we can arrange dismantling, loading, packing,
shipping, specialist insurance and commissioning.
tomers to see how bottles will perform sures.
without the time-consuming expense of If you have a machine to sell or you’re looking to purchase,
creating physical prototypes and thus www.retal- please get in touch.
speed up decision making. group.com
+44 (0) 1254 584210
sales@petmachinery.com
PETplanet Insider Vol. 22 No. 07+08/21 www.petpla.net
petmachinery.com
42
MATERIALS / RECYCLING

Tackling plastic waste

problem in Thailand with PET
bottle-to-bottle recycling line
EcoBlue Ltd., Thailand’s first bottle-to-bottle recycler, has set up a new recycling facility for
PET and polyolefins. A new Starlinger PET bottle-to-bottle recycling line is going to be part
of the expansion.

“Our aim is to turn post-consumer

and post-industrial waste materials
into a sustainable substitute of virgin
resin”, explains Pranay Jain, founder
and Managing Director of EcoBlue
Ltd. “In anticipation of the increased
commitment of organisations towards
sustainability, EcoBlue has invested in
setting up a new recycling facility with
technologies for PET and polyolefins
recycling. By having Starlinger as a
technology partner, we will ensure that
we are able to provide consistent and
high-quality bottle-grade rPET to our
customers.”

Starlinger’s RecoStar PET 215 iV+

bottle-to-bottle recycling system will
be delivered to EcoBlue’s production
site in Rayong Province, Thailand,
in July 2021 and within the follow-
ing weeks be assembled by the local
Starlinger technician with remote
support from Starlinger’s headquar-
ters in Austria. The line reaches an
output of 2,500 kg/h, equalling a total
production capacity of about 20,000 t
of bottle-grade rPET per year.
High quality food-grade
rPET made from certified
100% post-consumer
recycled waste
EcoBlue is Thailand’s first recy-
cling company to receive the Letter of
No-Objection (LNO) by the US FDA
for its “3D Pure” rPET for use in food-
contact applications. The Starlinger
technology will enable EcoBlue to
provide superior quality rPET resin
for bottle applications. EcoBlue’s
“3D Pure” rPET can be traced back
to 100% post-consumer PET waste
material through its global recycled
standard certification process.
Starlinger RecoStar PET 215 iV+ bottle-to-bottle recycling line
Providing sustainable
recycled resin to brand
owners for reducing their
carbon foot print
“We aim to work towards a cir-
cularity of resources by diverting
post-consumer and post-industrial
waste materials from landfills to the
recycling stream”, explains Pranay
Jain the motivation that drives the
company. EcoBlue was founded in
2013 and has developed unique capa-
bilities to produce high-quality rPET,
rPP and rHDPE from post-consumer
and industrial waste, providing a
sustainable substitute to virgin resin.
EcoBlue’s commitment towards sus-
tainability does not only consist in pro-
viding high-quality recycled resin that
can help reduce the carbon foot print
of environmentally conscious organi-
sations, but also in ensuring that it is
produced in safe and equitable work-
ing conditions with no harmful impact
on people and the environment. “With
our portfolio of recycled products we
provide a choice of sustainable raw
materials for companies which look
to reduce their impact on the environ-
ment”, says Pranay Jain.
Bigger extruder sizes meet
customer demands
A special feature of the Star-
linger PET recycling line is its spe-
cial extruder size: With the 215 mm
screw the line reaches an output of
2,500 kg/h. “We sold the first PET
recycling line with these extruder
dimensions in 2019 and have wit-
nessed a growing demand for this
capacity since then. It is currently one
of the most popular extruder sizes
on the market and meets the existing
trend towards higher extrusion capaci-
ties perfectly. The incoming orders for
215 mm extruders for bottle-to-bottle
applications exceed even our expec-
tations”, explains Andreas Pech-

PETplanet Insider Vol. 22 No. 07+08/21 www.petpla.net


EcoBlue’s 3D Pure rPET for bottles
hacker, General Manager of Starlinger
recycling technology.
Remote installation during
the global pandemic
Starlinger, like so many other
machine and technology providers all
over the world, tries to support its cus-
tomers in every situation. “Machine
installations and commissioning are
definitely a challenge in these times”,
continues Andreas Pechhacker. “With
travel restrictions and quarantine
periods in place in many countries we
are glad that we have local techni-
cians based all over the world. This
bio PAC
bioplastics MAGAZINE presents:
#biopac
PETplanet Insider Vol. 22 No. 07+08/21
EcoBlue’s 3D Pure rPET for PET films
helped us already in the pandemic
year of 2020 to get new equipment up
and running as quickly as possible. In
the case of EcoBlue, the technician
from our Starlinger Thailand Office will
be in charge for the installation of the
new PET recycling line, with remote
support from his colleagues in Austria,
if necessary. All equipment has been
tested and commissioned before ship-
ment. Based on Starlinger’s plug &
play principle, installation and com-
missioning of the recycling system at
the customer’s site can be carried out
quickly and smoothly. This way we
ensure that EcoBlue can take up pro-
duction as soon as possible.”
www.bio-pac.info
Conference on Biobased Packaging
03 - 04 Nov 2021 - Düsseldorf, Germany
Media Partner
www.petpla.net
43
MATERIALS / RECYCLING
EcoBlue Limited is a recycling
company based in Thailand that
offers high quality rPET, rHDPE
and rPP made from post-con-
sumer and industrial waste. It is
a pioneer in offering high quality
rPET with FDA approval for the
PET film application which has
been proven to work well for films
with 90% rPET content. EcoBlue’s
high-IV bottle-grade rPET can be
used up to 100% for clear bottles
suitable for food contact. EcoBlue
also works towards Circularity of
Resources by bringing difficult-
to-recycle materials like films
and laminates into the recy-
cling stream. This gives materi-
als which would have otherwise
ended up in landfills a second life
and reduces their impact on the
environment.
www.ecoblue.co.th
www.recycling.starlinger.com
Coorganized by
supported by
 44
TRADE SHOW REVIEW
“Post Covid-19 - Strategy and Trends for the Circular PET Economy”
Petcore Europe annual
conference 2021 part 2
by Heike Fischer
The last three sessions of the second
day of the conference covered the
topics of “Trends in Design for Recy-
cling”, “Monomer Recycling - where is
circular PET headed?” and “Circularity
of PET - opportunities beyond recy-
cling”.
The session of “Trends in Design
for Recycling” started with a presenta-
tion by Luca Stramare from Corepla,
who introduced the idea of a PET tray
recyclability evaluation platform and
continued with an update of the Euro-
pean PET Bottles Platform (EPBP).
Luca mentioned the importance of
focussing on design for recycling. He
pointed out that the PET thermoforms
platform is ready to take the chal-
lenge by “smartly cloning” of the EPBP
concept for closing the loop on PET
tray recycling. He explained that the
full value chain is already represented
under the umbrella of Petcore Europe.
For building up the PET thermo-
forms platform the EPBP recyclability
assessment model was adapted to the
thermoforms value chain and its peculi-
arities. A steering and technical com-
mittee has already been appointed.
Luca said that until today a toolbox
with a main test protocol is defined
and a first reference lab is identified.
Only the quick tests still needed to
be worked out. Design guidelines for
the recycling of clear PET trays were
published.
Paolo Glerean from Aliplast intro-
duced RecyClass with its new Recy-
cled Content Traceability Certification.
It contains the traceability evaluation
of recycled material flows in a site pro-
ducing products with rContent. Paolo
explained that an independent certifi-
cation body verifies the traceability of
recycled content and the calculation
of pre-consumer and post-consumer
share in products. He added that the
certificate validity is one year. The Audit
Scheme of the certfication was devel-
oped according to a controlled blending
model as described in ISO22095 Chain
of Custody. The Audit Scheme was
published in July 2020, the documen-
tation can be found on the RecyClass
homepage.
The following session was about
the topic of “Monomer Recycling -
where is circular PET headed?” Mike
Neal from Petkonsept emphasised
the lack of a Monomer Recycling Legis-
lation. He finally summarised that in the
future the EU Commission is going to
produce legislation to include chemi-
cal recycling. He pointed out that at the
moment, the legislation is not even in
draft stage.
Martin Stephan, CEO of Carbios
and Co-Chair of the Monomer Recy-
cling SIG told about what the Mono-
mer Recycling WG has initiated. The
results are a Monomer NIAS evalua-
tion program, a Technology Readiness
Level (TRL) evaluation of the industry
and a general specification for mono-
mers/oligomers. In September 2021 the
working group will present DG Santé
first results of NIAS testing program,
TRL, sector time to market. In a second
step they will finalise the specification/
TRL/NIAS testing program and finally
exchange with other Petcore Europe
WG to structure feed stocks supply
chain for monomer recycling.
Jean-François Briois from Nestlé
Waters explained Nestlé’s vision for
packaging sustainability. Nestlé’s long
term vision is that none of their packag-
ing ends up in landfill or as litter. By
2025, Nestlé intends to reduce its virgin
plastic by 33%, and to make 100% of
its packaging recyclable or reusable.
Jean-Francoise highlited that PET
packaging has the potential to become
truly circular in 2030. After a com-
parison of mechanical and monomer
recycling he summarised that monomer
recycling needs support at R&D stage
to qualify as many feedstocks as possi-
ble and to define relevant quality speci-
www.petcoreeuropeannualconference.eu/presentations
PETplanet Insider
fications. He added that there must be
a support during scale-up to guide and
fund industrial scale-up.
The last session of the event was
about “Circularity of PET - opportunities
beyond recycling”. Carl-Eric Portaels
from Petcore Europe presented Pet-
core’s communication campaign. The
mission of the campaing is to achieve
holistic recognition of the performance
of PET to be a material of choice for
packaging and other end-uses, meet-
ing environmental, sustainability and
performance criteria expectations of
the consumer and other stakeholders.
With websites, webinars and tests in
France and Germany, the campaign
End Waste, Recycle the One aims to
present consumers critical knowledge
on PET as a valuable resource and
understanding on how to correctly
recycle it.
Eric Schaffner, CEO and Founder
of Zeloop showed a mobile applica-
tion to reduce plastic littering. The
application is characterised by giving
incentives to the consumer for their
pro- environmental behaviours with a
first focus on plastic bottle collection.
The whole Circular Economy Reward-
ing Platform has the aim to educate
consumers in a smart way for sorting,
resulting in more collection and better
sorting quality.
Sebastian Lemp from Alpla
Group introduced a reuse model by
Alpla. With a special designed PET
bottle the consumer can refill the bottle
at home or on the go. At a return drop
of point the PET bottle is collected.
Alpla’s PET pool bottles are a 1 l bottle
with 55 g and 500 ml bottle with 38 g
(up to 10 g less than comparable PET
solutions). These bottles withstand a
minimum of 15 cycles.
Vol. 22 No. 07+08/21 www.petpla.net
 45
BOTTLE MAKING

PETproducts
Bottle design services
Producer of specialised preform and blow moulds Petka
holds its own design department to create customised bottle
designs on demand. The processes offered by their design
department and highly qualified designers range from a
first evaluation to a prototype before the production of the
final product starts.
The bottle designs are conceived in accordance with
the dimensions of the preform to be blown, specified by
the client. After a detailed analysis of the preform concept,
Petka’s designers produce a selection of appropriate designs.
Once a 3D drawing has been finalised, the designers create
a 3D mockup to provide an accurate visual representation
of the design.
PRODUCTS
Handle applicators
And&Or, a leader in the manufacture and marketing of
handle applicator machines for PET and PE bottles, provides
solutions for the automatic insertion of various types of handles.
They are adaptable for low, medium or high-speed lines, as
well as for multiple types of operation, including rotary, interval
linear or continuous linear. The use of the company’s handle
application technology enables the manufacturing of a handy
and easy carry handle-ware for a large PET container (3 to 5 l)
with either a lateral, umbrella or neck handle. And&Or says
that traditionally, the move from the classic HDPE handle-ware
to a more attractive PET handle-ware container has been
challenging, largely due to the lack of precise and specialised
handle application technology.

In addition, And&Or specialises in the manufacture of a

carton collar applicator which automatically inserts the carton
collar to single bottles or packs, from 300 ml to 5 l. The advan-
tages of this technology are, the flexibility to work with different
carton and packaging types, the security by PET fairing, and
the easy to use touch screen.
The mockup allows the company to highlight the key
functions, attractive features, and unique details of the With this growing demand for automatic handle applica-
bottle. This innovative part of the process ensures Petka tion technology, And&Or supports the customer by providing
can demonstrate the final shape of the bottle to the client, a complete solution from initial concept and design of the
prior to any sign-off. handle, bottle & preform specs right through to the successful
development of a cost effective final product, offering brand
To further improve the customer experience, the next advice along with their professional expertise.
step is prototyping. Producing a prototype helps to truly
understand the future product and also allows customers www.andyor.com
to test the design’s accuracy before starting the produc-
tion process, explains Petka. The main advantages this
offers the clients is the possibility to trial their design in
“real-world” scenarios and interact with it more effectively.
The main objective is to identify potential abnormalities or
issues and have the possibility to modify certain aspects of
the design if there are any uncertainties, prior to launching
a finalised product.

In their R&D department, Petka are always working on

new features. Their latest development relates to the design
of the bottom mould and works on blowing the base with
low pressure to produce a more stable base.

www.petkamold.com

PETplanet Insider Vol. 22 No. 07+08/21 www.petpla.net

46
BOTTLE MAKING
PRODUCTS

New bottle design and water

line for Durrat AI Khaleej in Iraq
Bottles with built-in handles
Established in 2007, Durrat Al Khaleej is one of the leading bottled
An increasing number of food compa- water producers in Iraq. Inspired to improve production to ensure they meet
nies are embracing PET bottles with built-in stringent standards, Durrat Al Khaleej has a laboratory that systematically
handles, as they provide an easy dispensing checks the water produced, guaranteeing high levels of quality and safety
solution. Pouring oil from a container with han- throughout the supply chain, from raw materials to the point of consumption.
dles is a different experience than pouring it
from a standard bottle without them. Not only
do handles provide a more comfortable and
precise, hassle-free dispensing experience
but their eye-catching design is an effective
tool to stand out on the store shelves.

Today, there are many types of bottles

with built in handles to choose from. SMI
manufactures both pre inserted handles and
post inserted handles with their state-of-the
-art stretch blow moulding machines. Pre-
inserted handle bottles are made through
special moulds that ensure the easy insertion
of the handles into the bottle.

To optimise bottle design as well as line performance, Durrat Al Khaleej

chose Sidel to deliver a complete water line. As the site for the line was a
greenfield project, the collaboration between Sidel and DaK was key to the
successful development of a new PET bottle design as well as managing
the installation and commissioning of the equipment. Following a meeting
in Dubai, Sidel’s packaging experts proposed a lightweight solution, which
could also incorporate the bottles’ original premium look, fully meeting the
client’s expectations. Weighing only 10.5 g, the lightweight PET bottle in
the 500 ml bottle format, also has high stability and has so far proved to be
successful in the market. The line operates with a speed of 24,000 bph for
500 ml. Not only has it helped the client save water on bottle cleaning, but
also no air conveyer is needed.

Rotary stretch-blow moulders
For large-scale production of PET and
rPET containers, SMI offers a wide range of
rotary stretch-blow moulders from the EBS
Ergon range, available both in stand-alone
and Ecobloc version. In the Ecobloc combi
version, stretch-blow moulding, filling and
capping are integrated into a single bloc that
does not require a rinser or the conveyor
belts between the stretch-blow moulder and
the filler.
“Sidel provided extra support well beyond the scope of delivering the
equipment to Europe, by choosing trusted shipping companies and recom-
mending approved experts for installation and commissioning of the line in
Iraq. This ensured that the entire logistic flow was well planned and smoothly
implemented,” explains Mr Ibraheem Ghudaib, CEO at Durrat Al Khaleej.
The installation and commissioning was successful, achieving 98.1% line
efficiency during the customer acceptance validation (CAV). Thanks to
Sidel’s great teamwork, the project kick-off was in March 2020, and the first
sellable bottle was launched in December 2020.
www.sidel.com

The equipment design reduces energy

costs thanks to a preform-heating module
with high-efficiency IR lamps and a double-
stage air recovery system. SMI says that the
fast format changeovers and mould replace-
ments were a special focus when designing
this modular technology.

www.smigroup.it

PETplanet Insider Vol. 22 No. 07+08/21 www.petpla.net

 47

BOTTLES
PETbottles Ketchup with less sugar
The German food
Beverage + Liquid Food manufacturer, Jütro
and Co. Ltd KG, has
brought out its own
“Newmoji” ketchup
with children spe-
Organic honey cifically in mind and
in 100% recycled comes in a specially
decorated bottle. It
material has matching printed
motifs to encourage
dm Bio, the own brand for children or tempt
the pharmacy discount firm adults to buy the
dm, is continuously extending product. According to
its product range and switching the imprints, the product contains 30% less sugar due to the
to more sustainable packaging. addition of apple juice and raw sugar, as well as being free
The latest expansion of honey of sweeteners. Under the screw-on hinged lid with silicone
varieties includes the “blossom valve, the container opening is secured with a sealing lid
honey” version that comes in that needs to be removed before opening.
the now familiar squeezable
headstand bottle. The organic www.aldi-sued.de
honey product comes in a 350 g
bottle made from 100% recycled
material. As with many other
products, the closure is not “yet” made from recyclate. The
cap has a tamper-proof strip which makes it easy to see if
the bottle has already been opened.
www.dm.de

Innocent juice
Caffeine water in PET with donations
for butterflies
Under the brand
name “Viteau + and active A plea to “Save butterflies”
bio caffeine water”, the decorates bottles of Innocent
German food manufac- smoothies and juices as part of a
t u r e r, T S I C o n s u m e r promotion campaign. By entering
Goods GmbH, is selling a code that appears on the label
three varieties of a car- or bottle tag, the buyer can choose
bonated mineral water one of three butterfly rescue pro-
that has been infused with jects online to which Innocent will
caffeine. This is a drink donate 20 cents. The initiative
which aims to support is advertised prominently on the
hydration with a lemon, bottles. In the picture is a 900 ml
raspberry/basil and lime Multi-Mix Orange bottle that con-
mint taste. The product sists of at least 50% recyclate and
comes in a clear, 500 ml is secured with an easy-to-grip
bottle made from 100% screw cap.
recycled material. Several
eco-seals decorate the paper label which provides informa- www.innocentdrinks.de
tion about the product. A screw cap and tamper-proof strip www.netterling.com
complement the bottle.
www.tsi.de

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48
Buyer’sguide
1.0 MATERIALS
loginplast@loginplast.com
www.loginplast.com
NOVAPET, S.A.
Paseo Independencia, 21, 3°
50001 Zaragoza
fon +34 976 232 069
www.novapet.com
1.1 Materials for bottle
and cap production
1.1.9 Additives and colorants
Colours and additives
Liquid & masterbatches
tel.: +7 812 346 7882 (ext. 443)
www.basco-masterbatch.com
High Performance
Liquid Colours & Additives
repi.com
www.repi.com
Masterbatches & Compounds
www.sukano.com
1.2 Packaging components
and accessories
1.2.1 Preforms
Tel.: +91 22 22821777
info@chemcogroup.com
www.chemcogroup.com
ESKAPET PET PREFORM
export@eskapet.com
www.eskapet.com
Ph: +91 44 4340 4340
contact@nationalgroup.in
www.nationalgroup.in
PDG PLASTIQUES
F-45330 Malesherbes - France
Tel. 00 33 2 38 34 61 95
info@pdg-plastiques.com
www.pdg-plastiques.com
Preform manufacturer
3 Rue de l’île Macé
44 412 REZE France
Tel: + 33 (0)2 40 05 09 37
Fax: + 33 (0)2 51 70 01 55
sgt.mail@sgt-france.com
www.sgt-pet.com
1.2.2 Bottles
1.2.4 Caps and Closures 2.1 Preform production
(machines and equipment)
Tethered Sport Caps + Hinged caps
www.aptar.com
BMB SpA
Via Enrico Roselli 12
25125 Brescia (BS) - Italy
Tel.: +39 030 2689 811
Fax: +39 030 2689 880
info@bmb-spa.com
Closure Solutions www.bmb-spa.com
BERICAP GmbH & Co. KG
Kirchstr. 5
55257 Budenheim
Tel: +49 (6139) 2902-0
info.germany@bericap.com
www.bericap.com info.netstal@kraussmaffei.com
www.kraussmaffei.com
IT’S ALL ABOUT CAPS
www.corvaglia.com
www.corvaglia.ch SACMI IMOLA
www.sacmi.com
SIPA S.p.A
via Caduti del Lavoro,3
31029 Vittorio Veneto, Italy
Tel. +390438911511
Caps - Closures - Bouchons Fax +390438912273
info@uner.com.tr sipa@zoppas.com
www.uner.com.tr www.sipa.it
2.1.1 Consulting &
2.0 MACHINES AND Engineering for
EQUIPMENT Preform Systems
Tel: 86-757-8103 2968
Cell: 86-18680 563233
Lewis.lam@baijinyi.cn Otto Systems AG
www.baijinyi.cn Zürcherstrasse 73
www.fsblowmold.com 8730 Uznach - Switzerland
Call +41 55 285 22 11
info@otto-systems.com
www.otto-systems.com
Perfect Inspection System for Cap,
Preform, PET/Glass bottle & Can
Email: pnstech@pnstech.co.kr
2.1.3 Preform handling
PETplanet Insider Vol. 22 No. 07+08/21 www.petpla.net

2.2 Bottle production
(machines and equipment)
Eugen Seitz AG
Spitalstrasse 204
8623 Wetzikon, Switzerland
phone: +41 44 931 80 80
fax: +41 44 931 80 90
sales@seitz.ch
www.seitz.ch
two-step blow molders,
Leak testers, trimmers
sales@amslerequipment.net
Phone # 905 951 9559
www.amslerequipment.net
SIPA S.p.A
via Caduti del Lavoro,3
31029 Vittorio Veneto, Italy
Tel. +390438911511
Fax +390438912273
sipa@zoppas.com
www.sipa.it
Nissei ASB Machine Co., Ltd.
4586-3 Koo, Komoro-shi,
Nagano-ken 384-8585, Japan
Tel. 0081-267-23-1565
Fax 0081-267-23-1564
sales@nisseiasb.co.jp
www.nisseiasb.co.jp SMI S.p.A.
Via Carlo Ceresa, 10
I-24015 S. Giovanni Bianco (BG)
Tel. +39 0345-40111
Fax +39 0345-40209
info@smigroup.it
www.smigroup.it
B&G Product Co. Inc.
Spare Parts and Onsite Service for 2.2.1 Single stage stretch
PET Blower/Filler Lines: Sidel; blow moulding
Krones; KHS Blomax; Sipa SFL & equipment
SFR; 1Blow. Available Internationally.
Tel: +616 698-9050
sales@bgproducts.com
www.bgproducts.com
CREATING MOLDS WITH A DIFFERENCE
Acme Drinktec Solutions LLP
New Delhi, INDIA
Tel No: +91 9810418975
+91 9819020785
No. 688-1, Zhong-shan road, sales@acmedrinktec.com
Sec. 3, Wuri, Taichung, www.acmedrinktec.com
414, Taiwan
Tel: 886-4-23388289
Fax: 886-4-23380219
servers@chumpower.com
www.chumpower.com 2.2.2 Two stage stretch blow
moulding equipment
SACMI IMOLA
www.sacmi.com F-95650 Boissy l’Aillerie, France
Tel : +33 (0) 9800 820 70
sales@1blow.com
www.1blow.com
PETplanet Insider Vol. 22 No. 07+08/21 www.petpla.net
49
Buyers Guide
FlexBlow – ONE for ALL
Flexible SBM solutions
www.flexblow.com
Stretch Blow Moulding Machines
Palletizing Systems
PL-80180 Gdansk, Poland
+48 58 301 71 81
info@tes.com.pl
www.petkamold.com
info@petkamold.com
2.2.3 Coating systems
Blow moulding, filling,
packaging lines
North America: (1) 630 510 9343
South America: (55) 11 3611 2400
Europe: (33) 0243 60 28 28
Asia: (60) 3 8605 3690 PET Preform & Bottle Lubrication
serac@serac.fr www.steidle-pic.com
www.serac-group.com
2.2.4 Compressors
SHYAM Plastic Machinery
C1/ 4512, Phase IV, G.I.D.C. Vatva,
Ahmedabad 382445. INDIA
Tel: +91-79-2584 1147, 2584 1258
Mobile: +91-98795 39705
contact@shyamplastic.com
info@shyamplastic.in RELIABLE BEYOND LIMITS
www.shyamplastic.com www.abc-compressors.com
www.shyamplastic.in
PET Blow Moulding Machines
Tel: +34 93 846 3051
www.sidemachines.com
AF COMPRESSORS
www.afcompressors.com
AF_Supports-Salons_80cm_Logo-af-compressors-url.indd 1 17/07/2017 09:28:40
Blow Molding Machines,
Bottling Lines
Stuifenstraße 59,
D-74385 Pleidelsheim, Germany
info@smfgmbh.com
www.smfgmbh.com
www.atlascopco.com/pet-blowing
50
Buyer’sguide
HERTZ KOMPRESSOREN GLOBAL
export@hertz-kompressoren.com
www.hertz-kompressoren.com
Leobersdorfer
Maschinenfabrik GmbH
Suedbahnstrasse 28
A-2522 Leobersdorf, Austria
Tel.: +43 2256 90 01-0
sales@LMF.at | www.LMF.at
Oil free compressors
SIAD Macchine Impianti S.p.A.
Via Canovine, 2/4
24126 Bergamo, Italy
Tel. +39 035 327611
Fax +39 035 316131
siadmi@siad.eu
www.siadmi.com
2.2.5 Heating boxes for blow
moulding machines
2.2.6 Conveyors
(air and mechanical)
2.3 Cap production
(machines and equipment)
www.bmb-spa.com
Machines For Caps & Closures -
Tethered Caps, Sportscaps...
Contexo GmbH
Herrenäckerstr. 7-9
73650 Winterbach - Germany
Tel. +49 (0)7181 / 606-100
info@contexo-gmbh.de
www.contexo-automation.de
info.netstal@kraussmaffei.com
www.kraussmaffei.com
PackSys Global AG
Phone: +41 55 253 3700
info@packsysglobal.com
www.packsysglobal.com
SACMI IMOLA
Via Selice Prov. le 17/a
40026 Imola BO, Italy
Tel. 0039-0542-607-111
Fax 0039-0542-642-354
valentina_gollini@sacmi.it
www.sacmi.com
2.4 Crate production
(machines and equipment)
2.5 Ancillary equipment
for the production of
preforms, caps and crates
Blue Air Systems GmbH
Achenfeldweg 8
A-6250 Kundl, AUSTRIA
Tel.: +43 5338 211 71-0
www.blue-air.at
Moretto S.p.A.
Tel. +39 049 9396711
info@moretto.com
www.moretto.com
2.7 Materials and accessories
for moulds
2.7.3 Hot runners systems
and controllers
Single & Two Stage PET Molds
We design Best Value.
33-4 Wonmi-dong Bucheon-city
Kyunggi-do 421-814 KOREA
Tel: +82 32 663 6377
HRC Europe Ltd. inq@ksmold.com
Gyepszel Street 42 www.ksmold.com
9025 Gyor, Hungary
Tel: +36 305 670 235
Fax: +36 306 145 830
hrc@t-email.hu
www.hotrunnercomponents.eu
Precision Tools for PET Packaging
www.PETform.net
Sise Kunststofftechnik GmbH
Rheinallee 4 e
67061 Ludwigshafen am Rhein
Tel: +49 621 5458 1654
verkauf.de@sise-plastics.com SIPA S.p.A
https://de.sise-plastics.com via Caduti del Lavoro,3
31029 Vittorio Veneto, Italy
Tel. +390438911511
Fax +390438912273
3.0 Suppliers for sipa@zoppas.com
Stretch blow moulds www.sipa.it
and Preform moulds
DONG-A PRECISION IND. CO,.LTD
94, Saneop-ro, Ojeong-gu,
Bucheon-Si, Gyeonggi-do, KOREA www.wtbvc.com
Tel: +82 32 680 7000 (Ext. 7012)
sales@dnolab.com Blow Molds for All Technologies,
www.dnolab.com All Machine Types, All Sizes.
Highest Quality, Fastest Delivery,
Lowest Cost.
Canada +1-519-754-5400
sales@wentworthmold.com
Poland +48-81-820-5730
info@wt.com.pl
Stretch Blow Moulds and Perso UK +44-1623-658-416
Parts for the PET/Bioplastics sales.europe@wentworthmold.com
Industries China +86-137-646-05384
phu@wtbvc.com
284 Pinebush Road Argentina +54-11-4753-1111
Cambridge Ontario simkosa@simko.com.ar
Canada N1T 1Z6
Tel: 001-519-624-9720
Fax: 001-519-624-9721
info@hallink.com
www.hallink.com
Production of blow moulds and
PET mould parts
tel.: +359 32 606 821
fax: +359 32 606 888
office@itd.bg
www.itd.bg
PETplanet Insider Vol. 22 No. 07+08/21 www.petpla.net

3.1 Preform moulds
Preform, Caps & Thin Wall Molds
Acme Die Systems Pvt. Ltd
(India) Tel: +91-98110 39129
sales@acmedisys.com
www.acmedisys.com
PET Preform, Blow, Closure
Molds and Hot Runners
GDXL Precise Machinery Co., Ltd.
No. 18, Changjiang Rd., Guicheng,
Nanhai, Foshan, Guangdong, PRC
Tel: +86 757 86777168
Fax: +86 757 86233168
info@gdxl.com
www.gdxl.com
Leo precision products,
ISBM, Precision PET moulds,
Change parts
Silvassa, Ut of DNH, INDIA
M: +91 99798 67490
+91 93288 85884
Mail: contact@leopp.in
Web: www.leopp.in
PET Preform and Closure Mould
Chengdu Lianyu Precise
Machinery Co., Ltd
Pidu District, Chengdu City,
Sichuan Province, 611743 China
james.zhang@cd-lianyu.com
www.cd-lianyu.com
MHT MOLD & HOTRUNNER
TECHNOLOGY AG
www.mht-ag.de
PETplanet Insider Vol. 22 No. 07+08/21
Otto Hofstetter AG
Zürcherstrasse 73
8730 Uznach, Switzerland
Tel. +41 55 285 22 11
Fax +41 55 285 22 44
hofstetter@otto-hofstetter.ch
www.otto-hofstetter.com
No.5, 36th Road, Taichung
Industrial Park. Taichung City. 407.
Taiwan
chad@passcard.com.tw
www.passcard.com.tw
www.petkamold.com
info@petkamold.com
Injection Molds and
Integrated Solutions
Americas: +1-416-749-1698 x. 577
runterlander@stackteck.com
Asia: +82 31 8059 7000
stackteck@stackteckasia.com
www.stackteck.com
3.2 Stretch blow moulds
PET engineering, bottle design,
Prototyping, industrial blow
mould and services
Tel: 0033 (0)5 45 36 63 50
www.sa-comep.fr
info@sa-comep.fr
www.petpla.net
DEMO Design and Moulds
31020 San Vendemiano (TV) - Italy
Tel.: +39 0438 409048
Fax: +39 0438 409046
info@designandmoulds.com
www.designandmoulds.com
www.kiefer-mold.de
maik.weber@kiefer-mold.de
Packaging and Preform
Engineering, Moulds and
Line Conversion
Tel: +33 (0)5 45 36 63 50
info@competek.com
marketing@competek.com
www.petkamold.com
info@petkamold.com
29614 Soltau, Germany
mold@roeders.de
www.roeders.de
3.3 Cap moulds
james.zhang@cd-lianyu.com
www.cd-lianyu.com
51
Buyers Guide
Plastisud Sas
5 rue Joseph Jacquard
11400 Castelnaudary - France
thierry.bressollette@plastisud.com
Tél: +33 6 45 72 86 24
www.plastisud.com
Injection Molds and
Integrated Solutions
Americas: +1-416-749-1698 x.641
smartin@stackteck.com
Asia: +82 31 8059 7000
stackteck@stackteckasia.com
www.stackteck.com
www.z-moulds.com
3.6 PET mould cleaning
4.0 FILLING / BOTTLING
www.index-6.com
SIPA S.p.A
via Caduti del Lavoro,3
31029 Vittorio Veneto, Italy
Tel. +390438911511
Fax +390438912273
sipa@zoppas.com
www.sipa.it
52
Buyer’sguide
4.3.4 Aseptic filling lines
Blowing, filling, packaging
Turnkey Solution Supplier
Tel.: +86-512-58691111
www.newamstar.com
4.4.1 Labelling machinery
SHRINK SLEEVES SPECIALIST
Finpac Italia srl
tel +39 02 89775524
20019 – Settimo Milanese (Mi), Italy
Automatic Modular Labeling
Machines
P.E. LABELLERS S.p.A.
Via Industria 56
46047 Porto Mantovano (MN), Italy
Tel.: +39 0376 389311
pelabellers@pelabellers.it
www.pelabellers.com
4.5 Downstream equipment
Tel: +34 954779200
andyor@andyor.com
www.andyor.com
4.6 Liquid Nitrogen Dosing
Terboven GmbH
Hubert-Underberg-Allee 14
47495 Rheinberg / Germany
fon +49 (0) 2843 - 9727 -0
mail@terboven.net
www.terboven.net
Phone: +1-781-933-3570
Fax: +1-781-932-9428
Email: sales@vacuumbarrier.com
Web: www.vacuumbarrier.com
5.0 RECYCLING
Food-grade PET Recycling
info@bariq-eg.com
www.bariq-eg.com
Bühler Thermal Processes AG
As of April 2015, the company is
renamed to Polymetrix
> see Polymetrix
Highly efficient RECYCLING
chemicals, tailor-made process
solutions & an unique technical
support.
CHT Germany GmbH
Tel +49 7071 154 - 233
recycling@cht.com
www.cht.com
Performance Products for PET and
Plastics Recycling Applications.
Via Vigevano 61
28069 - San Martino di Trecate
Novara - Italy
Phone. +39.0321.789710
ufficiocommerciale@macdermid.com
Macdermidenthone.com/industrial
fon: +43 7233 70 107-0
Polymetrix AG info@ngr-world.com
A Sanlian Bühler Company www.ngr-world.com
Sandackerstr. 24
9245 Oberbüren, Switzerland
Direct +41 71 552 10 00
www.polymetrix.com
PET-Recycling Plants
Consulting & Engineering
Complete Solutions Plastic Recycling Company
17 rue de l’Argentique
71530 Fragnes-La Loyère - France
Tel. 33 (0)2 40 05 09 37
5.6 Recycling machines Fax 33 (0)2 51 70 01 55
contact@sgt-rpet.com
www.sgt-pet.com
5.8 Complete recycling plants
PET Bottle Washing Line “PET washing and recycling
Integrated Solutions and Engineering plants, turnkey and modules for
for Bottle to Fiber, Bottle-to-Bottle B2B, fiber, sheet”
Tel: +86-573-85120186 SOREMA division of PREVIERO N.srl
sales@bo-re-tech.com Via per Cavolto 17,
www.bo-re-tech.com 22040 Anzano del Parco (Co) -Italy
Tel:+39 031 63491250
sales@sorema.it · www.sorema.it
Starlinger
Complete PET recycling plant,
recycling
FDA approved, integrated IV
increase, with Pellet- or Flake-
SSP, process features lowest PET recycling equipment
overall energy consumption, www.recycling.starlinger.com
more than 250 plants supplied
to industry.
EREMA GMBH
Unterfeldstr. 3, A-4052 Ansfelden
Tel. 0043-732-3190-0
erema@erema.at · www.erema.at
Complete washing lines for PET
recycling, for fibre, sheet, B-t-B
applications
TECNOFER ECOIMPIANTI SRL
Via Calto, 409/28
45030 Ceneselli (RO) - Italy
Tel: +39 0425 849090
Herbold Meckesheim GmbH info@tecnofer.biz
PET Granulators, Agglomerators, www.tecnofer.biz
Shredders, Complete PET
washing and recycling lines
Industriestrasse 33
74909 Meckesheim
Tel.: 06226 - 932 – 0
Fax: 06226 - 932 – 495
herbold@herbold.com
www.herbold.com
PETplanet Insider Vol. 22 No. 07+08/21 www.petpla.net
 53

Buyers Guide
6.0 OTHER

6.1 Laboratory equipment Manufacturers of Gas Analysis Equipment Who’s

CANNEED INSTRUMENT
GROUP LIMITED
Tel: +86 758 2788469
Fax: +86 758 2782729
Email: info@canneed.com
Web: www.canneed.com
6.1.2 O2 barrier measurement
6.1.4 Bottle, Preform and Cap
inspection equipment
Who
T: +41 32 366 80 66 17 Thame Park Business Centre,
sales@imdvista.ch Wenman Rd, Thame OX9 3XA,
www.imdvista.ch United Kingdom
Tel.: +44 (0)1844 216838
PiSalesUK@industrialphysics.com
www.systechillinois.com/ppl in the
PET market
6.2 Design and Prototyping
Tel.: +49 (241) 9126-0
sales@intravis.com
www.intravis.com Stay permanently listed in the
magazine‘s Buyer‘s Guide with
your company logo and contact
information (includes printed
Packaging and Preform and online version). For only
Engineering, Moulds and EUR 5.90 per mm you can be
Line Conversion present among top suppliers of
Tel: +33 (0)5 45 36 63 50 PET processing materials –
Perfect Inspection System for Cap,
info@competek.com in every issue of the year.
Preform, PET/Glass bottle & Can
marketing@competek.com
Email: pnstech@pnstech.co.kr

Price of the entry:

7.0 Used Machinery
number of lines
x 3.2 mm line height
x 5.90 EUR
sales@agrintl.com
www.agrintl.com Pressco Technology Inc. = entry per issue
29200 Aurora Road T +44 (0) 1254 584210
Solon, Ohio 44139, USA T +34 676 986962 (SPAIN)
Tel. +1-440-498-2600 E sales@petmachinery.com
sales@pressco.com www.petmachinery.com Example:
www.pressco.com
1,888.– EUR/year
CANNEED INSTRUMENT
GROUP LIMITED
Tel: +86 758 2788469
Fax: +86 758 2782729
Email: info@canneed.com SACMI IMOLA PETplanet Insider

32 mm
Web: www.canneed.com www.sacmi.com Vangerowstr. 33
69115 Heidelberg, Germany
Tel. +49-6221-65108-0
Fax +49-6221-65108-28
info@hbmedia.net
www.petpla.net
1 Line = 3,2 mm

Contact us
Ask for your
individual offer –
call +49-6221-65108-0
or mail to
sales@hbmedia.de

PETplanet Insider Vol. 22 No. 07+08/21 www.petpla.net

54
OUTER PLANET
OUTER PLANET

Bacteria transform terephthalic acid into vanilla flavouring

Tasty transformation
A recipe that starts with “Take one half of an empty PET bottle”? Although unlikely to
happen, PET bottles have become the focus of attention for some scientists who managed
to convert post-consumer bottles to vanillin. A decisive contribution to the miraculous
transformation is made by the bacterium Escherichia coli (E. coli).
The researchers say that the vanil-
lin produced would be fit for human
consumption but further experimental
tests are required. Vanillin is widely
used in the food and cosmetics indus-
tries, as well as the formulation of
herbicides, antifoaming agents and
cleaning products. Global demand for
vanillin was in excess of 37,000 t in
2018. The demand for vanillin is grow-
ing rapidly and is projected to exceed
59,000 t by 2025. Natural vanillin can
be produced by extraction and isola-
tion from vanilla beans or rice bran.
However, over 90% of the vanillin
used worldwide is produced syntheti-
cally - by microbial fermentation via
a non-natural, engineered pathway.
The aromatic substance Vanillin is a
cheaper alternative to natural vanilla,
whose prices had overtaken even the
price of silver in recent years.
Vanillin can be extracted from natural ingredients like vanilla pods, which belong
to the orchid family, or synthetically. This is where PET could join the game.

Researchers from the University ent conditions (room temperature,

of Edinburgh have discovered that the
bacterium E. coli, naturally found in
the human and animal intestine, can
be deployed as a sustainable way to
convert post-consumer plastic into
vanillin, a new study reveals. The sci-
entists hope that their discovery could
boost the circular economy, which aims
to eliminate waste, keep products and
materials in use and have positive
impacts for synthetic biology.
The scientists Joanna C. Sadler
and Stephen Wallace from the Uni-
versity of Edinburgh’s Institute of
Quantitative Biology, Biochemistry and
Biotechnology used a laboratory engi-
neered E. coli bacterium to convert the
monomer terephthalic acid (TA) directly
into the high value molecule vanil-
lin, via a series of chemical reactions,
using a single engineered microorgan-
ism. According to the researchers,
the reaction is mild, uses a whole-cell
catalyst produced from renewable
feedstocks and occurs under ambi-
pH5.5–7), in aqueous media, requires
no additional cofactors or reagents and
generates no hazardous waste. Maxi-
mum vanillin titres of 785 μM (79%
conversion) were achieved after exten-
sive process optimisation studies.
The team also demonstrated how
the technique works by converting
a used plastic bottle into vanillin by
adding the E. coli to the degraded plas-
tic waste at ambient temperature and
in aqueous conditions: they therefore
selected a thermostable enzyme as a
biocatalyst to aid hydrolysis of PET into
TA. This enzyme released TA directly
and did not require an additional
enzyme to hydrolyse mono-2-hydroxy-
ethyl terephthalate (MHET) for release
of TA. The reaction was cooled to room
temperature and freshly prepared E.
coli and a biotransformation buffer
concentrate were added, and reac-
tions were analysed after 24 h. Without
any process optimisation, vanillin was
detected.
Future studies will focus on inten-
sifying this process through further
strain engineering, process optimisa-
tion and extension of the pathway to
other metabolites.
The study, published in Green
Chemistry, lays the foundation for
further studies to maximise vanil-
lin production towards industrially
relevant levels and the extension of
the pathway to other metabolites. The
research was funded by a BBSRC
Discovery Fellowship and a UKRI
Future Leaders Fellowship.
www.ed.ac.uk
www.rsc.org

PETplanet Insider Vol. 22 No. 07+08/21 www.petpla.net

 kraussmaffei.com/new-petline

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- Side entry for maximum mold compatibility

- Shortest cycle times for increased output
- Lowest level of energy consumption to minimize
the ecological footprint
- Improved 100% rPET processing to enable the circular economy
- New control unit including NETSTAL Smart Operation to ensure
easy, fast and safe start-up and production
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