Nick Cliffe - Closed Loop Recycling at EMERGE AGM

www.closedlooprecycling.co.uk

Sorting Plastic Packaging … for Fun & Profit

Nick Cliffe

Closed Loop Recycling


Why sort?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Plastic-recyc-01.svg


















































Why sort?




















Why sort?

Value




















Why sort?

Customer requirements




















Why sort?

Specialised reprocessing




















Why just plastic bottles?

= + Plastic Bottles




Primary Sorting

At point of collection Kerbside Sort Comingled

QUALITY COST


+ve and –ve sorting


+ve and –ve sorting


Man vs. Machine


Near Infra-Red

Spectra for PET – source: Spectral Database (SDBS) National Institute of Advance Industrial Science & Technology



PP 0.85 / 0.95

HDPE 0.94 / 0.96

Water 1.0

PS 1.03 - 1.06

PVC 1.32 - 1.42

PET 1.35 - 1.38

Density Separation


Flake sorting

• Colour cameras

• NIR systems

• Laser Raman Spectroscopy


Flake sorting


Shape recognition


Shape recognition

• Part recognition

– Shape

– Colour

• Label matching

– Known

– Unknown

– Label database


Coded Packaging - consumers


Coded packaging - machines

Item Marker A Marker B

Clear PET Bottle - -

Natural HDPE bottle - -

Natural HDPE bottle – detergent - Clear PP packaging – food product - Clear PP packaging – non food product Clear PET Bottle with nylon barrier layer -


Conclusion

• We want to recycle all plastic packaging

• To do this we need both infrastructure and smart packaging

• Most of the tools are in place …

• Thank you

Nick Cliffe - Closed Loop Recycling at EMERGE AGM

Business