Starlinger: New PET Bottle-to-Bottle Recycling Line Reduces Production Costs

To design the recycling process as efficient and energy-saving as possible has been one of the main topics at Starlinger recycling technology for many years. The newest result in this respect regarding the technical advancement of the company’s recycling lines is impressive: The newly conceived PET bottle-to-bottle recycling system recoSTAR PET art scores not only with 25 % less energy consumption compared to the previous model, it also requires 46 % less maintenance time, has a 21 % smaller machine footprint, and a production output increase of 15 %. In total, bottle-to-bottle recyclers can save about 21 % in production cost with the new system.

“For the new machine concept, we have analysed the PET recycling process and our technical solutions for it from top to bottom, searching for ways to make them better”, explained Paul Niedl, Commercial Head of Starlinger recycling technology. “We especially improved energy consumption, but also succeeded in shortening some of the process steps – such as material preparation and extrusion – and in making machine maintenance a lot easier and shorter. At the same time we increased the output capacity. All this with the goal not to compromise the high regranulate quality Starlinger is known for. To achieve this, we analysed, combined and implemented know-how from various areas, creating a synthesis of arts, so to say. Hence the name of the new system: recoSTAR PET art.”

While the new combined drying unit and the newly designed extruder were exhibited at the Starlinger booth in Hall 9, a recoSTAR PET 165 art with an output of more than 2 t/h could be seen in full operation during the “Dynamic Days” of Starlinger recycling technology held at the factory in Schwerin/Germany immediately after K show.
Another piece of interest for recyclers of post-consumer plastic waste was the recoSTAR dynamic 215 C-VAC featuring Starlinger’s odour reduction technology, which was also on show during the Dynamic Days. It processed LDPE post-consumer film scrap from household collection, turning it into odour-neutral regranulate.

“Despite the past two years of pandemic both the K show as well as our Dynamic Days in Schwerin have been a huge success”, stated Paul Niedl, summing up the exhibition and Open House. “The willingness to invest in recycling solutions for plastics continues to be high as more and more plastics processors use regranulate. It reduces the amount of waste and takes the burden off our ecosystem. We as machinery manufacturers try to support this development with our technologies and push it further with new solutions such as the Starlinger recoSTAR PET art.”