Avient Corp. has found a bright idea in dark colorants.
Near-infrared (NIR) sortable dark colorants made by Avon Lake, Ohio-based Avient have been recognized by the Association of Plastic Recyclers under its Meets Preferred Guidance (MPG) program.
With the recognition, OnColor-brand NIR sortable colorants are preferred for high density polyethylene resin in black and dark colors, according to the APR Design Guide for Plastics Recyclability.
In a news release, Avient officials said that testing is underway to support MPG recognition for the same colorants for polypropylene resin. Dark packaging, traditionally using colorants containing carbon black, is a popular choice for brand owners, they added.
But at the same time, officials said, detecting and sorting dark packaging in material recovery facilities is challenging. They said the Avient colorants provide a solution to this problem. allowing packaging to be visible to a NIR optical sorter, which then can sort it into the right plastic stream.
"We're proud to have received this recognition from the Association of Plastic Recyclers and look forward to further supporting our customers to reach their recycling goals," said Mayendran Pillay, director of marketing for color & additives, U.S. and Canada.
"Avient is committed to enabling 100 percent of our products manufactured for packaging applications to be recyclable, reusable, or compostable by 2030," he added. "This solution aligns with that commitment."
APR's MPG program helps brand owners be more confident that the materials they use in their products support recyclability. NIR sortable black and dark colorants became eligible for MPG recognition by the APR in October.
Avient is one of the world's largest concentrate makers and one of North America's largest compounders. The firm employs more than 8,000 worldwide and posted total sales of $4.8 billion in full-year 2021.