At CTLpack we are committed to the environment and our customers. We use recycled materials in the development of new projects thanks to which we offer more sustainable products that comply with the principles of the new circular economy.
With the collaboration of the AIMPLAS Technology Center, CTLpack has led the RECITEST project supported by IHOBE with the aim of recovering industrial waste at the machine to, after proper treatment, introduce them into the ESTube tube manufacturing process or other applications, as well as to study and implement a process that allows the removal of inks and other decorative elements to facilitate recycling.
From this process it was concluded that the swarf produced in the plant is regenerative and processable in the available means of production, even at high utilization rates. However, the material has not reached the condition of being suitable for use in applications that require contact with food, since it has not been possible to eliminate the remains of inks and varnishes. This characteristic generates coloration in the regenerated chippings, which means that the organoleptic properties are not optimal and the suitability for food contact is compromised.
The decoration of packaging, especially in the cosmetics sector, is characterized by its high-quality standards in terms of decorative richness (effects and color density), bonding to various substrates, resistance to chemical attack such as solvents, water, etc. This means that the decoration is sometimes practically indestructible, which obviously makes it difficult to remove.
Our next steps will focus on evaluating and optimizing processes for washing the waste, to eliminate the decoration, which would open up a range of options to achieve the optimal objectives of this project. In parallel, realistic options will be analyzed to facilitate the removal of the decoration, or even avoiding it where it is not necessary.
You can see this news on Ihobe’s website: https://ecoinnovacion.ihobe.eus/en/projects/high-value-tube-packaging-recycling-solutions-recitest
