Challenges and Solutions for Plastic Packaging in a Circular Economy |
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| Authors: | Jannick Schmidt Maximilian Auer Jochen Moesslein Pascal Wendler Stefan Wiethoff Claus Lang-Koetz Jörg Woidasky |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Hochschule Pforzheim, Institut für Industrial Ecology, Tiefenbronner Strasse 65, 75175 Pforzheim, Germany;2. Polysecure GmbH, Sankt-Georgener Strasse 19, 79111 Freiburg, Germany;3. Der Grüne Punkt – Duales System Deutschland GmbH, Edmund–Rumpler–Strasse 7, 51149 Köln, Germany |
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| Abstract: | New regulations require improvement of plastic packaging waste management to meet higher recycling rates. One solution for today's multilayers and other sorting challenges is tracer-based-sorting (TBS). TBS uses fluorescent tracers to provide sorting information on packagings. Industrial printing tests with tracer materials showed good printing quality. For TBS waste management feasibility studies, extensive packaging sorting plant input analyses were carried out, focusing on materials, color, label type, and label whereabouts. Sorting tests on a TBS-modified NIR-sorter resulted in excellent detection rates. LCA showed the reduced climate impact of TBS compared to conventional sorting technology. Implementation and transfer of TBS to other industries show high potential. |
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| Keywords: | Fluorescence Packaging Plastic Recycling Tracer-based-sorting |
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