Presentation by Nick Cliffe from Closed Loop Recycling at EMERGE public meeting on "The Future of Plastics" held on 24/11/11

1. Sorting Plastic Packaging … for
Fun & Profit
Nick Cliffe
Closed Loop Recycling
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2. Why sort?
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3. Why sort?
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4. Why sort?
Value
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5. Why sort?
Customer requirements
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6. Why sort?
Specialised reprocessing
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7. Why just plastic bottles?
Plastic Bottles = +
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8. Primary Sorting
At point of collection Kerbside Sort Comingled
QUALITY COST
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9. +ve and –ve sorting
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10. +ve and –ve sorting
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11. Man vs. Machine
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12. Near Infra-Red
Spectra for PET – source: Spectral Database (SDBS) National Institute of Advance Industrial Science & Technology
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13. www.closedlooprecycling.co.uk

14. Density Separation
PP 0.85 / 0.95
HDPE 0.94 / 0.96
Water 1.0
PS 1.03 - 1.06
PVC 1.32 - 1.42
PET 1.35 - 1.38
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15. Flake sorting
• Colour cameras
• NIR systems
• Laser Raman
Spectroscopy
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16. Flake sorting
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17. Shape recognition
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18. Shape recognition
• Part recognition
– Shape
– Colour
• Label matching
– Known
– Unknown
– Label database
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19. Coded Packaging - consumers
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20. Coded packaging - machines
Item Marker A Marker B
Clear PET Bottle
- -
Natural HDPE bottle
- -

Natural HDPE bottle –
detergent -

Clear PP packaging – food
product -
 
Clear PP packaging – non
food product

Clear PET Bottle with nylon
barrier layer -
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21. Conclusion
• We want to recycle all plastic packaging
• To do this we need both infrastructure and
smart packaging
• Most of the tools are in place …
• Thank you
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