DÜSSELDORF, GERMANY — Austrian Starlinger & Co. GmbH has unveiled a development that enables the recycling of highly contaminated, post-consumer and post-industrial plastic waste such as washed household refuse and agricultural films, as well as heavily printed material.
The technology also features an excellent compounding capability for upgrading the final product, according to the firm. During the exhibition Starlinger is running a recoSTAR universal 65 VAC that is processing highly printed polyethylene film, which according to the company will demonstrate the excellent melt degassing and cleansing capacity needed for high-quality regranulate that makes it suitable for use in a wide range of applications.
Elfriede Hell, general manager of Starlinger recycling technology, said his company is set to benefit from a wide range of factors including "an increasing demand for recycling heavily contaminated post-consumer waste due to a ban on land-fill, which is looming in many countries."
"Customized solutions for specific applications requiring R&D effort to allow high regranulate content will form a focus for us during the show," Hell added.
He highlighted the possibility to up-cycle through the use additives to increase quality as being a core driver for the market along with the opportunity of "selling recycling ideas to stakeholders in the automotive industry".
"We're looking forward to meeting our existing customers and also attracting new leads. K is a great networking platform — we'll be talking with other OEMs, suppliers and brand owners."
The recoSTAR universal series comprises four machine sizes, which together cover an output range of 150 to 1,300 kilograms per hour.