Page 42 - Plastics News February 2024

FEATURE

valued at USD 30 billion. With a com- ment in chemical recycling infrastruc- points along the recovery, sorting,
pound annual growth rate (CAGR) ture worldwide. Over $7 billion has reprocessing and resin production
of 6.5%, the market is projected to funded advanced recycling projects process. This builds essential market
reach USD 50 billion by 2023–2030. since 2019, with capacity expected trust in recycled content while sup-
Factors such as increasing plastic to reach over 6 million metric tons by porting reliable analysis of environ-
waste generation, advancements in 2030. mental savings. In fact, leading global
recycling technologies, and rising AI to Optimise Efficiency & Qual- brands across packaging, fashion and
adoption of circular economy princi- ity consumer electronics industries have
ples are driving market expansion. already adopted blockchain-verified
The integration of artificial intelligence PCR content to confirm true circular-
Yet market growth depends on con- (AI) and machine learning has opened ity.
tinued technology innovation to drive new doors for optimising waste plas-
efficiency, quality and scale. Here we tic sorting, identification, separation Flexible Packaging Recycling
explore some of the most disruptive and processing at materials recovery Break through
advances poised to transform plastics facilities (MRFs). AI-powered robotic Flexible plastic packaging like pouches
recycling globally:
systems can now identify different and films represent the fastest-grow-
Chemical Recycling - The Game polymer types, colours and formats ing packaging segment today with
Changer at very high speeds to support precise over $230 billion in annual sales. Yet
automated sorting. This boosts effi- until recently, multi-layer and flexible
Also referred to as advanced recy-
cling, chemical recycling technology ciency, yield rates and output quality. packaging suffered notoriously low
employs chemical processes includ- Sophisticated AI tools can also detect recycling rates near 15% or less due
ing pyrolysis and other techniques to labels, glue, inks, paper and other to tricky polymer combinations and
break down post-consumer plastic contaminants in the sorting process small format challenges traditional
waste into individual polymers or oth- for cleaner bales of recycled poly- MRFs couldn’t handle.
er feedstocks. These building blocks mers. Additional pilot projects show Now breakthrough pre-processing
then reconstitute into new virgin- promise in utilising AI and hyperspec- and extrusion technologies specifical-
quality resins free of contamination. tral imaging to trace exact types and ly designed to capture post-consumer
properties of waste plastic for smart- flexible packaging are coming online
For recyclers, brand owners and
manufacturers, this next-generation er recycling. As the technology de- to alleviate a major plastic waste bot-
recycling promises to be the ultimate velops, machine learning promises to tleneck. Flexible packaging recycling
game changer by enabling robust scal- minimise manual labour needs while plants can filter, wash and separate
ing of high-purity PCR supply. Unlock- preventing human sorting errors that layers before outputting recycled pol-
ing far greater value in hard-to-recy- diminish quality. ymer flakes or pellets suitable for re-
cle plastic waste streams, chemical Blockchain Delivers Reliable use across films, packaging and more.
recycling systems can handle the vast Traceability Industry leaders expect capacities for
majority of plastic packaging materi- The rise of blockchain platforms spe- recyclable flexible PE and PP pack-
als like flexible films, multi-layer and cifically designed for plastics tracking aging alone to reach nearly 350,000
food-soiled packaging previously des- now enables reliable traceability and tons annually in the next few years,
tined for landfills. transparency across the recycling expanding end markets for these pre-
With processing flexibility plus ex- chain. This emerging application re- viously unrecyclable formats.
treme traceability, the resulting PCR assures manufacturers that resin The Future of Plastics Recycling
resins can readily meet strict technical output matches input specifications While plastics recycling activity has
specifications for sensitive food con- while preventing falsified sustainability gained momentum, current mechani-
tact, medical technology and other claims. cal recycling infrastructure still only
advanced applications too. This im- Blockchain documentation traces captures a sliver of post-consumer
mense potential across the plastics material flows “from pellet to pallet plastic waste globally. Persistent limi-
value chain is driving massive invest-
to product” by collecting key data tations hinder quality, economics and

44 PLASTICS NEWS February 2024