The new technology will enable polymers and aluminium from used aseptic carton packs to be recovered and sold individually on an industrial scale in Brazil
The planned investment will expand the range of applications for recycled materials. (Credit: SIG)
Packaging solutions provider SIG is set to invest BRL10m ($1.9m) in recycling technology to boost the value of recycled materials from used aseptic cartons by more than 50%.
The new technology is said to enable polymers and aluminium from used aseptic carton packs to be recovered and sold individually on an industrial scale in Brazil for the first time.
Switzerland-based SIG said that the move will also expand the range of applications for recycled materials.
The leftover polyethylene and aluminium mix, also known as polyaluminum or PolyAl, from this process can be recycled into material for things like furniture, pallets, and roofing.
SIG’s recycling plant will leverage the new technology to separate the polyethylene from the aluminium in PolyAl to develop a market and demand for these materials.
The new technology, which was developed over five years with project partner ECS Consulting, has already undergone a trial project that showed the efficiency of this chemical recycling procedure.
The new recycling plant, which is currently in construction in the state of Paraná, is anticipated to be operational in 2024 with an initial production capacity of 200 tonnes per month.
SIG has also invested in a German facility to separate polymers and aluminium from PolyAl, which went into production in 2021.
SIG Americas president and general manager Ricardo Rodriguez said: “We are excited to bring to Brazil a new technology that will enable the separation of aluminium and polyethylene layers from carton packs, thereby expanding the market for these materials and generating more value from the separated waste.
“This project is the latest in a series of innovative collaborations led by SIG to boost collection and recycling rates for used aseptic cartons and grow the recycling chain in a sustainable way.”
The Swiss packaging firm has many programmes to support two other recycling steps that include the collection of used packaging from customers and the separation of the packaging for the right recycling streams.
Since 2018, SIG is running a so+ma vantagens programme in partnership with NGO so+ma to award loyalty points to underprivileged communities for bringing in waste for recycling.