rPET - Design for Recycling
Support the circular economy and create your own closed loop
The most recyclable plastics are PET and HDPE, PET has an excellent environmental profile due to its recyclability. Unfortunately, a lot of valuable PET material ends up in landfill or incineration instead of in collection points. DuFor develops innovative polyester raw materials which are made to be recycled and focuses on the complete polyester life cycle. Our strength is to enhance the properties of polyesters while maintaining the recyclability. Also, we focus on the development of polyester-based solutions to substitute (a combination of) materials that are less recyclable or have a higher environmental impact. We believe that design for recycling is key to achieve a fully circular economy.
rPET for packaging
European strategy on Plastics requires all plastic packaging in the European market to be fully recyclable ♻ by 2030, which makes design for recycling necessary. rPET levels in packaging can be increased and can be made 100% recyclable as well. Together with our customers, we develop the right combination of the lowest environmental impact and the best product performance. We can also help you with selecting the right materials to make your packaging fully recyclable. Because at the end of their service life, polyesters are too valuable to simply be thrown away.
At DuFor we offer high quality specialty rPET grades which are suitable for rigid or flexible packaging. We also offer specialty rPET suitable for injection molding and extrusion processes and also for 3D printing filament. These recycled polyesters have at least the same quality, functionality, and feel of those produced from virgin polyester.
Mechanical and Depolymerisation recycling of PET
In 2013, our sister company Cumapol Polyester Upgrading started with the recycling of post-consumer bottles, back into a rPET grade suitable for direct food contact and the development of special grades based on recycled PET. Mechanical recycling is successful, it works for clear plastic bottles but it still leaves a lot of polyester waste unused. Heavy colored materials and other non-food polyesters are not suitable as feedstock for this process. That is why we have developed this new continuous CuRe Polyester Rejuvenation process. It is and end-to-end partial depolymerisation recycling process and a new way to recycle polyester into high quality rPET in a highly profitable and environmentally sustainable way. Chemical reactions can open up the molecule chain of polyester to decolor and decontaminate, and then guide these materials back to their original molecular structure. When done appropriately, the material retains its qualities and the process has minimum byproducts, while we recycle it infinitely, again and again and again. And there is another option: during this CuRe recycling process, bio based monomers could be incorporated into the polymer chain to make it even more sustainable.
DuFor made the next steps in circularity, but we have many plans to improve. Together we can create a high-quality rPET with a low ecological footprint.
Interested in our specialty rPET raw materials? Please contact us!
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