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NEXTEK PRISM Intelligent Sorting of Packaging Using Fluorescent Markers
1. PRISM - Intelligent sorting of packaging
using Fluorescent markers
Nextek Ltd
April 2018Copyright Nextek Limited 2018
2. NEXTEK Ltd - What we do
โข RecyclingplantdesignandFeasibilitystudies
โข StrategicadvicetoMulti-NationalCorporations
andRecyclingCo s
โข Businesssupport,productivityimprovement
andproblemsolving
โข RecyclingScienceInnovation
โข Food grade recycling of post consumer plastics โ
process development
โข Research and development of novel materials
and processes including plastics and bioplastics
โข Ground breaking projects for governments and
major commercial organisations in the EU, UK,
India, Malaysia, USA, South America, Middle East,
North Africa and Australia/NZ
โข Strong ties to Universities and Scientific Centres
of Excellence in the UK and Europe
2
3. PRISM Partners
โข Nextek โ Project manager and Recycling R&D
โข Brunel University London โ Wolfson Materials Processing Centre โ Luminescent expertise
โข CCL Label - Multi National Label maker
โข Cleantech Europeโ UK largest plastics recycler
โข Enlightened Lamp Recycling โ Fluorescent lamp Recycler
โข Johnson Matthey โ Global Co. - Specialty chemicals, catalysis, and process technology
โข Mirage Inks โ Leading manufacturer of printing inks for packaging applications
โข Tomra Sorting โ World leader Automatic Detection systems
โข WRAP UK โ leading waste and resources charity UK
Copyright Nextek Limited 20163
4. Plastic Packaging Recycling using Intelligent Separation
technologies for Materials (PRISM) - Summary
ยง High value materials from plastic packaging that currently are difficult to sort into
desirable categories with high precision e.g. >95% food grade PET; >99% HDPE
ยง Invisibly coded labels with high performing luminescent compounds that can be
detected with existing high speed automatic sorting equipment.
ยง Luminescent materials from non-rare earth based compounds and from fluorescent
lamp recycling.
Targets
ยง PP packaging used for food grade recycling
ยง HDPE milk bottles for food grade recycling
ยง PET bottles and thermoforms and increase recovery of food grade plastics and open up
new markets for recovered fluorescent compounds
ยง Black Packaging of any polymer type HDPE, PP, PET etc
Copyright Nextek Limited 20164
6. What if bottles could talk to the auto detectors!
I am
actually a
clear PET
bottle (or a
multilayer
bottle or a
bioplastic)
I am a food
grade HDPE
bottle
I am not
food grade
HDPE
bottle
I am
actually a
black HDPE
bottle
7. โข Current - Mixed bottles are sorted
by polymer type and colour
โข Future - Fluorescent markers
could be used for sorting either at
the initial stage (mixed polymers)
or at the latter stages of sorting (
mono polymer stream) to confirm
recent use of the pack eg food
contact or use with noxious
substances
Sorting of plastics Packaging in Plastics Recycling Facility
Copyright Nextek Limited 20167
8. The Protocol
โขThe use of multiple markers allows
additional coding opportunities.
โขThe number of combinations is given
by
Number=2n-1
โขThree markers = 7 coding sets per
type of plastic
8 Copyright Nextek Limited 2016
9. The Protocol for the PRISM project
- coding of packs by polymer-type AND RECENT
APPLICATION
Copyright Nextek Limited 20169
DAYLIGHT
UV-LIGHT
CODED
LABELS
10. Full scale trials at
Zimmermann Germany and Tomra R&D Centre
UV sorting hardware and software fitted in less than 1 hour
Copyright Nextek Limited 201810
Tomra Unit
UV light
source
12. โข Tested to determine if labels on PRISM
sleeved bottles could contaminate the PET
flake .
โข Applied typical flake preparation stages โ
grinding, air separation, washing in 1%
caustic + 0.3% triton at 90oC for 15mins,
rinse with fresh water, sink/float, air
separation, injection moulded at 0%, 50%
and 100%
โข Flake colour data showed that the
components of the PRISM label did not
contaminate the PET flake fraction
โข EPBP standards were met.
Testing of sleeved bottles to EPBP procedure - PASS
Copyright Nextek Limited 201812
13. Summary
โขPackaging marked with intelligent labels or coatings can be uniquely identified
and sorted with high efficiency using high-speed, high - throughput commercial
equipment that is modified with UV lighting.
โขThis technology offers the potential to sort a range of targeted recycled
materials such as food grade PP, HDPE and PET packaging, as well as other
materials using a non-polymer specific process.
โขProven Sorting speeds 2.2 to 4.4 tonnes/hr/metre of belt width
Yields typically 98% to 90% after optimisation
Purity typically 95% or higher in a single pass
Purity typically >99% or higher in second pass
โขPRISM technology is ready to be implemented using existing labelling
techniques and current sorting technology to validate Food Grade and to sort
difficult to recycle packaging.
Commercial interest: Four large brand owners and packaging companies