BASF continues its Plastics Journey at Plastics Recycling Show Europe 2023. The Plastics Journey consists of three phases which represent the lifecycle of plastics: MAKE, USE, and RECYCLE. The focus of BASF’s engagement at PRSE will be on high-performance solutions in the field of mechanical and chemical recycling.
BASF is set to showcase its continued plastics journey towards a circular economy and sustainable management of plastics at the Plastics Recycling and Sustainability Conference Europe (PRSE) 2023. The conference, which will be held from 10-11 May 2023 at RAI, Amsterdam, will bring together industry leaders, innovators, and experts to discuss the latest opportunities and challenges that face the plastics recycling industry in Europe.
At PRSE, stand D32, BASF will present its latest initiatives and solutions to promote the circular economy of plastics. The company will showcase its high-performance solutions and complementarity approach in the field of mechanical and chemical recycling with the aim of reducing the amount of plastic waste which goes unrecycled.
In addition, BASF and its subsidiary trinamiX will be joining the show’s conference to share insights into the latest circular plastics technologies and solutions. Dr. Jens Hamprecht, Director Global Plastics Steering Committee at BASF, and Adrian Vogel, Business Development Manager at trinamiX, will host a session titled “How to close the recycling gap together?” (May 10, 2:20-2:40pm).
Complementary solutions for mechanical recycling on one platform
BASF offers a range of product technologies to enable and improve the mechanical recycling process. The solutions from plastic additives, trinamiX and Chemetall are integrated on a newly designed platform: mechanicalrecycling.com
Additives designed to meet the challenges of circularity of plastic packaging
Additives enhance the circularity of plastics and enable polymers to go through multiple cycles. The IrgaCycle® range of additives can help increase post-consumer recycled content of plastic in several end-use applications such as packaging, automotive & mobility, and building & construction. They also mitigate common challenges associated with recycling resins such as limited processability and rejuvenate the stabilizing additive package that may be depleted during the package’s first lifecycle. BASF leverages its extensive experience in the plastic industry to select suitable additive solutions and provide technical recommendations to help customers reach their recycling goals. The IrgaCycle® range is part of the VALERAS® portfolio, the brand name under which BASF markets its range of sustainable plastic additive solutions.
On-the-spot identification of plastic types for enhanced sorting
A key piece to establishing circularity lies in the first step of the recycling process: a clean sorting of plastic waste. To ensure a high commercial value of the separated waste, it is important to know the type of polymer that constitutes the discarded plastic waste. With its Mobile NIR Spectroscopy Solution, BASF subsidiary trinamiX enables flexible on-the-spot identification, ensuring clean plastics waste streams across recycling facilities. Demos of the solution will be performed at trinamiX’s booth G3.
Cutting-edge cleaning solutions from Chemetall for mechanical recycling of plastics
The Surface Treatment global business unit of BASF's Coatings division, operating under the Chemetall brand, offers formulated and integrated cleaning agents, aimed at enhancing quality, productivity and safety of plastics recycling processes. Chemetall’s product range of cleaning solutions, wetting agents and defoamers covers the entire washing and wastewater treatment process for plastics and PET recycling and complies with the strictest quality regulations. Gardoclean®, Gardobond® additives, Gardo® Pure and Gardofloc® are set to be the gold standard in optimizing the washing and wastewater treatment processes.
As a result, safe cleaning of the plastic waste is achieved and, at the same time, the consumption of water and cleaning agents is reduced, as most of the water can remain in the system's cycle, be recycled, and reused several times. Chemetall technologies are compatible with food industry requirements, suitable for multilayer packaging films such as LDPE or HDPE and remove all types of adhesives effectively and efficiently.
PE/PA multilayer films are recyclable
BASF has done a lot regarding polyethylene/polyamide multilayer films: Since fall 2022, coextruded PE/PA film structures have been considered mechanically recyclable. Based on the studies of Institute cyclos-HTP GmbH, the Stiftung Zentrale Stelle Verpackungsregister (Central Agency Packaging Register) has reclassified the recyclability of polyamides in the minimum standard. This is an important first step towards incorporating the benefits of polyamide-containing packaging and the latest findings on the recyclability of polyamides into the legal basis. As a major producer of Ultramid® extrusion polyamides for multilayer films, BASF is involved in projects for objective categorization of polyamides in flexible packaging applications.
ChemCycling®: Complementary solution for high-performance products
Chemical recycling complements mechanical recycling by focusing on plastic waste that is not recycled mechanically for technological, economic, or ecological reasons. Together, mechanical and chemical recycling can increase the overall recycling rates and contribute to a more circular economy for plastics. ChemCycling® is BASF’s chemical recycling business to manufacture high-performance products from chemically recycled plastic waste on an industrial scale for our customers. The share of recycled raw material is attributed to products manufactured in the Verbund by using a third-party audited mass balance approach. More than 200 certified products carry the name suffix Ccycled® and have the exact same properties as conventional products. Customers can therefore further process them in the same way as conventionally manufactured products and use them in demanding applications like food and medical packaging, textile, or transportation.
Resycure – an impact startup helping brand owners, converters and recyclers to reach their targets
Resycure is a startup originating from Chemovator - the business incubator of BASF - dedicated to reducing plastic waste on a global scale. Their approach focuses on the market, assisting companies in the food, cosmetic, and household cleaning sectors to secure the supply of recycled resins for their packaging at fair prices and with less risk. To achieve this, Resycure consolidates the demand from these companies until it reaches a significant volume, using it to attract business and clients for recycling companies. In turn, recyclers can leverage that to invest in advanced technologies, quality, and production capacity. Resycure also connects recyclers with technology providers and advantageous financing options to help them meet the needs of their new clients.