Starlinger’s recoSTAR PET 165 HC iV+ bottle-to-bottle recycling system is said to help achieve better decontamination results
PET to PET production site in Müllendorf, Austria. (Credit: Starlinger Group)
Austrian recycling company PET to PET Recycling Österreich has installed a new Starlinger bottle-to-bottle recycling system to boost its production capabilities.
The company has installed recoSTAR PET 165 HC iV+ bottle-to-bottle recycling system, including solid-state polycondensation (SSP) reactor, at its Müllendorf production site in Austria.
PET to PET general manager Christian Strasser said: “It is also thanks to the new Starlinger pelletizing line that PET to PET is one of the most modern facilities in PET recycling worldwide.
“Since the foundation of the company we ensure that PET bottles in Austria are continuously recycled in a resource-saving way, contributing significantly to the circular economy in the country.”
Starlinger stated that PET to PET Recycling recycled 1.13 billion PET bottles last year and the company has increased throughput by 7.3% regardless of the Covid-19 pandemic with subsequent lockdowns and the price decline for virgin PET resin.
The second line from Starlinger, which is designed to achieve better decontamination results, has a throughput of 1,800 kg/h. The produced regranulate has the potential to replace virgin PET at a rate of 100%.
The solid-state polycondensation in the viscoSTAR 180 SSP reactor at the end of the recycling process enables to avoid decontamination.
It also helps to restore the mechanical characteristics of the recycled PET, in addition to increasing the intrinsic viscosity to the level of virgin material.
The PET recyclate, which is currently food-safe, is suitable for food packaging such as beverage bottles.
Starlinger recycling technology sales head Paul Niedl said: “From extrusion to decontamination to refinement – and here I mean food safety – of recycled PET we can provide substantial support to our customers in all areas.
“Especially concerning food-grade regranulate there is no compromise: the safe and hazard-free packaging of our foods has highest priority.”
In November 2019, Romanian plastic recycling company CALEX purchased a seventh Starlinger recycling line for the post-consumer film in Romania.