Blown film machinery maker Macro Engineering & Technology Inc. has developed a patented process to make trash bags using up to 100 percent post-consumer recycled material.
Normally, the reclaim is buried in the core layer of a coextruded structure between skin layers of mostly-virgin material, according to Macro officials. The problem is that defects, such as gels and pinholes, may originate from impurities in the core layer and migrate through all layers of the film.
Macro's process creates a two-ply film by joining two films immediately after extrusion. This adds strength to the film structure, as any weak spots in each layer are reinforced by the other layer.
Macro, of Mississauga, Ontario, employs two methods. The first is a conventional system where the bubble is collapsed before the melt cools, creating a single sheet. The second is by extruding through a dual-orifice blown film die and having the two films join, which form a collapsed tube.
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