Page 22 - Plastics News July 2019

CompANy News

Pretium Packaging adds PET Ineos Styrolution, Indaver

blow moulding equipment at partner to advance the circular
Alabama facility economy for polystyrene

retium Packaging is to add reheat stretch polyethylene neos Styrolution, the global leader in styrenics and part
Pterephthalate (PET) blow moulding equipment and Iof the Ineos Group, will collaborate with Indaver NV, a
infrastructure to one of its manufacturing sites. The European waste management company headquartered
new equipment line will join ten existing extruded blow in Belgium that has developed depolymerization
moulding units at a facility in Troy, Alabama, US. Adding technology in which plastics are converted into
the equipment and infrastructure at its Alabama plant high-grade recycled resources, including styrene.
represents a $2m dollar investment from the company. The The partnership is aimed
equipment can manufacture both cold- and hot-fill PET at moving this technology
containers that can accommodate food or drink offerings forward into the market. In
between 6oz and 2l, in finishes from 24mm to 45mm. With the past, Indaver established
demand for such containers and bottles increasing, the a development program
move will allow the company to produce a more befitting called "Plastics2Chemicals"
supply of the products for the condiment, sauce and (P2C) aimed at finding a
dressing markets, as well as for additional sectors within safe recycling process for
the beverage industry. The investment will also support post-consumer plastics for
the company’s strategic plan, positioning it to offer which there are no proper
flexible solutions for its customers. Pretium Packaging recycling possibilities
operations director Randy Neibarger said: “Pretium has available. Years of research
made this investment to expand our reheat stretch blow and development yielded a successful depolymerization
moulding production footprint. “Demand from small- to and purification process that has already been
medium-sized companies for condiment containers, as intensively tested. According to Paul De Bruycker, CEO
well as hot-fill bottles, continues to increase. “However, Indaver, the project is "an example of the industry’s
many suppliers are not willing to provide smaller stock sustained commitment to help achieve the European
quantities that many of these processors/bottlers require. objectives in valorizing plastics." Indaver now plans
Our objective is to serve that niché. “We also have the to set up a Plastics2Chemicals demo-installation in
the port of Antwerp, in the near vicinity of the Ineos
Styrolution site, which will have a recycling capacity of
15,000 metric tons a year. The plant is scheduled to go
into operation in the first half of 2021. The initial focus
of the collaboration will be to fully align the output
of Indaver’s depolymerization process with feedstock
specifications of Ineos Styrolution’s polymerization
process. Ineos Styrolution has a strong commitment
to sustainability. Speaking at a recent Pre-K event in
Antwerp, Rob Buntinx, Ineos Styrolution President,
Europe, Middle East and Africa, said the company had
capability of producing stock containers for brand owners pledged to ensure that by 2025 all Ineos polystyrene
that prefer to go that route.” In addition, the new sold for packaging purposes would have a recycled
installation will allow the company to introduce reheat content of at least 30 percent. This will require access
stretch blow moulding bottle manufacturing to the South to waste, and partners providing collection, sorting
East of the US. It also operates similar lines in four other and processing technology. To that end, the company
American regions. In April, Pretium Packaging acquired has entered into various collaborations in order, as
Olcott Plastics, strengthening its injection moulding and Buntinx said, "to go further into the value chain to get
personal care and beauty offerings. everyone on board."

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