SUSTAINABILITY IN FOCUS
35
W ith a view to 2020 and its economic and social challenges, Coca-Cola is reaffirming its sustainability goals and calls the programme “World without waste”. A bold statement: No packaging from Coca-Cola should end up in the sea, in the countryside or landfills. In Europe, this is to be achieved by 2025, worldwide by 2030. This task requires a good plan. In Europe, Dr. Stefan Kunerth, Technical Operations Director Western Europe, coordinates the programme. He knows the drivers that help to achieve the goal: Design, Collect, Partners. That means recyclability, optimized collection systems and partners working on innovative solutions to rethink recycling processes. One of these partners is Morssinkhof Plastics, a recycling company in the Netherlands. Since 2010, Morssinkhof Plastics has been supplying Coca- Cola with MOPET, Morssinkhof’s rPET from mechanical recycling, produced with technologies developed in-house
Morssinkhof. “Coca-Cola approves them for bottles made from 100% rPET”, says Matthijs Veerman, Business Development Manager at Morssinkhof Plastics B.V. MOPET was first used for Coca-Cola bottles made from 100% rPET in 2015. Hence a lot of experience in terms of technology and partnership is available. No rPET without used PET bottles It is no coincidence that the “World without Waste” initiative is picking up speed in Europe, as you will find highly developed collection systems here - the basis for the availability of the required feedstock: used PET beverage bottles. In other regions of the world, the hurdles are significantly higher. In Germany, Coca-Cola is initially offering the Vio mineral water brand in 100% rPET bottles. “In Norway and Sweden, we have switched our entire portfolio to 100% rPET bottles since the beginning of 2020”, says Kunerth. One of the sources from which Morssinkhof obtains its incoming goods at its recycling plant in the Netherlands
is the German deposit system. 60,000 t rPET per year - that is the amount that Morssinkhof produces at its production facility. Morssinkhof delivers them to the Coca-Cola preform production plant in Halle in Germany. The transport is currently still holding back Morssinkhof’s idea of optimal sustainability. Veerman: “Sustainability and regionality belong together.” That is why Morssinkhof is currently building a recycling plant near the preform plant in Halle. Commissioning is imminent. Production target: 40,000 t rPET per year. This will bring Morssinkhof to a total of 100,000 t rPET per year. Sounds like a good starting point, because the successful use of 100% rPET begins with a well-organized collection and high-quality recycling. The emphasis here is on “begins”. Veerman knows: “For the 100% rPET ambition, we need more than classic mechanical recycling.” According to Veerman, the quality of the MOPET material corresponds to virgin material - also in the cycle for food applications. But the bottles’ colour would change: “rPET bottles get a little darker from cycle to cycle.” But it is even more about material losses. Veerman: “We will not achieve 100% a return even in the long term”. Can polyester material from other sources fill the gap? Consequently, it is necessary to increase the input amount. The aim is to obtain rPET from other polyester sources. While mechanical recycling reaches its limits, so-called “enhanced recycling” starts right here. The input material can be clothing textiles, carpets or technical textiles from the automotive sector. Veerman also mentions PET applications from the food sector that cannot be mechanically recycled: coloured PET bottles, bottles with a barrier layer or PET packaging from thermoforming: trays for salads, baked goods, meat.
Fig 1: CuRe Technology – Compared to other recycling options
Source: CuRe Technology
COPYRIGHT PETNOLOGY/TECPET GMBH
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online