STADLER designs and builds new GAIA and IREN sorting plants in Asti and Parma

Altshausen, 8 December, 2021 – As the 2030 Agenda targets loom, environmental service companies are increasingly incorporating in their business plans investments in recycling facilities capable of bringing us closer to the zero waste goal by turning it into secondary raw materials that can be returned to the commercial cycle with minimal waste.

With this aim, G.A.I.A. Spa and Iren Ambiente (which holds 45% ownership of G.A.I.A. and provides environmental services to a population of more than 3 million) called on STADLER, the German company specialized in the planning, roduction and assembly of turnkey recycling and sorting plants, to design and build new recycling plants in Asti and Parma.

The requirements for the two plants were different: sorting of plastic packaging from separate collection in Asti, and sorting of plastic and paper/cardboard in Parma. STADLER’s personalized approach, capable of providing solutions even to changes requested during the construction phase, made the collaboration between the companies a success.

The new sorting plant at the Asti Waste Treatment Center
Inaugurated last October, the new plant for the sorting of plastic and metal packaging from separate waste collection plays an important role in waste management in northern Italy. The result of a 10 million euro investment, it will be able to process 50,000 tons per year of material from separate waste collection.

Flaviano Fracaro, CEO of G.A.I.A. and Technical Manager of Iren Ambiente Spa, comments: “The sorting plant is like an open-air mine, but instead of extracting raw materials from the planet, it recovers them, avoiding the dispersion of plastics in the environment or the saturation of landfills that no longer need to receive recoverable materials.”

The G.A.I.A. plant will process materials coming from the Asti basin, the Iren Group (Turin, Genoa, Piacenza, Reggio Emilia), Val d’Aosta and others who may request its ervices.

Once processed and cleaned, the materials coming from the separate collections will be delivered to the National Consortia for the recovery of packaging, which will transform them into secondary raw materials and reintroduce them into the production cycles.

The new plant is equipped with modern technologies in line with the Industry 4.0 objectives of the industrial plan, and the machines support the work of the manual sorting operators, resulting in a high quality product.

“We chose STADLER after an extensive technical and economical evaluation process,” comments Flaviano Fracaro. STADLER's experience in the sector was also decisive: “STADLER was able to design plants capable of treating different types of materials with great efficiency, and in terms of the support we received, their engineers and technicians were at our side in every phase of the project.”

The plant consists of a feeding and pre-sorting section, a mechanical and optical sorting line, a sorting cabin for manual selection of the bulky products and a storage and aling line.

A drum screen performs the first selection according to size, separating the materials into three streams. The main material stream, with sizes from 50 to 350 mm, is sent to the main sorting line, consisting of:
– 10 optical separators to sort out plastic products
– 1 wind shifter system to improve the 3D – 2D separation
– 2 magnetic separators to remove ferrous metals
– 1 eddy current separator to remove non-ferrous metals
– 1 fine screen with 20 mm mesh to sift fine residue
– 1 STT5000 ballistic separator and 1 STT2000 ballistic separator to increase the quality of plastic recirculation inside the plant
– 1 bottle piercer to recover bottles even if they are filled with liquids

All the sorted plastics are stored in reversible bunkers. This material then feeds two independent pressing lines with special balers designed for plastics.

At the end of the process, the output materials are transparent PET, colored PET, light blue PET, HDPE, PP, Mixed PE+PP, LDPE+PP film, bulky plastics (4 different products), residue, fine residue, non-ferrous metals and ferrous metals.

The project presented multiple challenges, which STADLER resolved also thanks to its extensive experience in this type of plants across the world. Pietro Navarotto, Director of STADLER Italy, explains: ” In Asti we had to design a plant with many machines and conveyors in a small existing building, taking into account also the space for maintenance. We also considered the possibility of extending the line in the future. Also, since the plant sorts multiple types of materials, we had to perform many tests to check the purity of the recycled material and the recovery rates.”

The new Iren Ambiente plant in Parma
The Parma plant, soon to be completed and inaugurated, is designed to treat two different streams of material from the separate collection of paper and plastic. It is one of the most advanced plants in Italy for sorting paper and cardboard. For this plant, STADLER designed and built two highly integrated sorting lines that achieve a very high spatial efficiency by sharing the baling system.

Flaviano Fracaro comments: “We appreciated the professional approach of STADLER’s engineers and the quick response in implementing a last-minute request on the paper sorting line. We asked for the inclusion of four NIR optical sorters and STADLER was able to do this within the tight deadline.”

The plastic sorting line, which has a capacity of 9 t/h, processes PET+HDPE+PP bottles, PE+PP film, bulky plastics, mixed plastic packaging, non-ferrous and ferrous metals, while the paper sorting line, with a capacity of 20 t/h, processes cardboard, mixed paper and deinking.

The two lines have different input areas but share the same output section and baling line. Each line consists of a feed section, a section for mechanical and optical sorting, a sorting cabin for manual sorting of bulky material and a storage and baling line.

In the plastic sorting line, once the bulky waste in the pre-sorting cabin has been removed, the industrial waste can be sent to a shredder. A big drum screen performs the first selection based on the size of the material (bulky, medium and fine).

The bulky fraction is sent directly to the sorting cabin, where operators sort it into three different fractions. The main stream, of medium sized material (50 – 380 mm), is fed to an STT5000 ballistic separator which divides the products according to their ballistic and weight characteristics into fine, 3D (heavy and/or rolling objects) and 2D (flat and light objects) fractions.

All fractions then pass through the plant where the following machines are located:

– 3 optical separators to sort the different types of plastics
– 1 wind shifter system to improve 2D – 3D separation
– 1 magnetic separator to remove ferrous metals
– 1 eddy current separator for the removal of non-ferrous metals

A movable conveyor under the first NIR optical unit of the paper line ensures great flexibility in the sorting process, while the second optical separator can work with either the positive or negative selection from the first NIR unit, optimizing paper recovery.

The paper sorting line starts with a PPK2000_6_3H ballistic separator which is specially designed to separate bulkier cardboard from lighter paper. The cardboard is sent irectly to the picking cabin while the main stream (< 300 mm) is sent to two parallel sorting lines. Each line consists of a PPK2000_6_1 ballistic separator that removes fine fractions (< 50 mm) and two 2800 mm NIR optical sorters that separate mixed and deinking paper from the main stream. The sorted material is then sent to the picking cabin for manual sorting.

Pietro Navarotto explains: “In addition to the change requested by the customer during the project’s implementation, the other difficulty was installing the paper line once the plastic line was in place. It is at times like these that the great experience of our engineers and installers makes the difference and guarantees the professionalism we are known for.”

“So far, the performance of the two plants in Parma and Asti has lived up to our expectations,” said Flaviano Fracaro. We hope that in the future they will even exceed them!”

 www.aepd.es 

SABIC committed to high-performance polymer solutions for safer, sustainable, scalable and efficient e-mobility and energy storage

SABIC’s theme at this year’s Battery Show in Stuttgart approaches the industry with a bold claim of ‘Powering Excellence in Batteries and Energy Storage’ across mobile and stationary application areas with one of the broadest offerings of thermoplastic polymers, technology focus and design expertise for battery customers. With concepts, pilot and commercial solutions on display and in key visuals, the exhibit aims to inspire the battery value chain to leverage the wide innovation potential of thermoplastic materials and help manufacturers solve major challenges in the battery space: safety, scalable manufacturing, energy efficiency and durability. Dhanendra Nagwanshi, Global Marketing Leader, EV Batteries & Electricals from SABIC Petrochemicals, and Luc Govaerts, Technology Director SABIC Specialties, share the company’s vision and strategy for the market.

What is SABIC’s perspective of the battery industry and your company’s role in addressing the challenges of a world whose demand for energy is rising steeply while facing climate change?
At the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, 197 countries have pledged to phase out fossil-fired energy production and become carbon neutral over the next few decades. The implementation of these ambitious goals requires a major increase in harvesting renewable energy, such as wind, solar and water power, along with significant improvements in safe and efficient energy storage solutions for use in all segments of human society. The future is electric, and SABIC is firmly committed to supporting the battery industry with our materials and design expertise to help accelerate this energy transition.

When you speak of significant improvements, which are some of the key challenges in battery design where your thermoplastic materials can make a significant difference?
One of the most critical challenges in automotive and e-mobility is to enhance the resistance of EV battery components to fire. We have all seen those few but highly publicized cases when electrical vehicles catch fire and how long it can take to put out the flames fueled by the battery packs. However, the real safety issue here is that EVs, in contrast to traditional combustion vehicles, don’t go to sleep when they’re not in use, but are normally charged over hours and unattended. The fire safety of batteries, therefore, must be maximized to prevent thermal runaway situations and the spreading of flames not just on the road, but also when charging.

From our SABIC® PP FR and STAMAX FR to NORYL NHP and VALOX FR resins, we offer a wide range of halogen-free flame retardant compounds that show unique intumescent and char-forming properties, stopping the propagation of flames in the case of a fire and eliminating the need for additional thermal blankets, such as required when using metal designs. These FR materials have an excellent fit in safe battery module housings, EV charging connectors, brackets and frames, for example. At our booth, we’re showing 12 x 12 inch test plates underscoring the superior fire shielding performance of STAMAX FR resin vs. aluminum when exposed to a flame temperature of 1,000°C over 5 minutes.

Speaking of metals, what about weight reduction?
Thermoplastics provide an inherently greater strength to weight ratio than metals, but not just on a component by component basis. More significant benefits can be derived by using their design flexibility to consolidate and create more compact battery designs by integrating features and reducing the number of individual parts. Beyond lightweighting, which is instrumental in increasing the reach of EVs, this approach can also increase the reliability and integrity of designs, save assembly steps and reduce overall manufacturing costs.

The high degree of integration possible is illustrated by an industry-first, lightweighting pHEV battery tray cover using a halogen-free flame-retardant (HFFR) SABIC PP compound. Other outstanding examples are a prototype EV battery pack with key components in various SABIC polymers for part consolidation, up to 12% weight savings, integrated impact protection and excellent electrical insulation compared to existing EV aluminum battery packs; and two prototype honeycomb structures of metal plastic hybrid with NORYL GTX as well as an all-plastic battery pack side impact protection in XENOY HTX resin for significant weight and costs savings vs. metals.

Your portfolio of thermoplastic resins for the battery industry appears to be differentiated into polymers marketed as part of your Petrochemicals portfolio and advanced engineering plastics offered by your Specialties business. How will the market distinguish your offerings?
The two business units shared space at the Battery Show to show how they can complement each other and align to best meet market and customer specifications. The particular application fit of a material may depend on the particular market segment and production volume as well as on the desired design integration etc. This is where our dedicated application and design support comes into play, assisting customers in identifying the best suitable material and maximizing its benefits.

What are some of your more specific engineering plastic innovations on display for the battery market?
We are proudly introducing new NORYL NHP 6011 and 6012 resins, which combine robust flame retardancy with high impact strength and can be used in battery components. Our NORYL GTX technology, which has an excellent fit in battery top covers, corner support plates and other demanding structural parts, is also opening new opportunities as part of honeycomb laminates for superior lightweight side crash protection components of battery units, offering excellent dimensional stability and lower water absorption compared to other incumbent materials. We’re also showing selected pilot and commercial applications using advanced LNP copolymer compounds which deliver low temperature ductility, good flow, flame retardancy and laser weldability.

Two other highlights are the award winning ELCRES HTV 150 dielectric film to support the transition from conventional silicon (Si) based semiconductors to next-generation, wide-band-gap technologies based on silicon carbide (SiC) for high-efficiency EV inverter modules, and certified bio-renewable ULTEM resins with 10% lower carbon footprint compared to fossil-based incumbent materials for use in gaskets and insulation plates of high-performance industrial batteries.

Apart from materials and applications in e-mobility, how is SABIC contributing to the growing market segment of stationary energy storage?
We envision a considerable number of future stationary energy storage systems to rely on second-life former EV batteries as the circular economy of plastics evolves. Moreover, EVs themselves can serve as temporary stationary energy suppliers e.g. in remote areas or as emergency power units. In another area, our Everflow joint venture is actively working on implementing the next generation vanadium redox flow (VRF) long-duration batteries designed to help generators in power plants manage large surges in demand or balance the variable availability of power from renewable sources.

Click Here To read more 

Zeppelin Systems expands its plant engineering expertise

Zeppelin Systems expands its plant engineering expertiseZeppelin Systems is a global leader in plant engineering for handling high-quality bulk materials. With over 70 years of experience in the individual process steps and extensive know-how in handling the various raw materials, Zeppelin Systems offers reliable complete solutions. At 22 locations worldwide, the company supports its customers from plant design to implementation and provides all services from a single source. Here, innovative process concepts are just as important as smart automation solutions and a full range service that covers the entire life cycle of a plant.

With a broadly based portfolio, Zeppelin Systems serves not only a wide range of market segments
but first and foremost, diverse customer groups with its high level of expertise in plant engineering.
The company has a reputation as an expert in the handling of solid as well as liquid raw materials
and primarily covers the process steps of storing, conveying, weighing, dosing and mixing in various industries.

”Our broad portfolio offers our customers security for long-term investments. With the majority shareholding in KITZMANN, we have secured in-depth expert knowledge, especially in the field of performance materials, and can offer our customers even better plant concepts,” explains Rochus Hofmann, Managing Director of Zeppelin Systems.

The owner-managed Magdalena KITZMANN GmbH company optimally complements the portfolio
of the plant manufacturer not only through its correspondingly high-quality standards, but above all
by providing optimal support to the PVC and chemical applications market segments through the
new partnership. As a specialist for customized and process-safe complete plants, KITZMANN
stands for reproducibility along with functional and operational reliability. The 360° range of services includes engineering through to commissioning of individual components as well as manufacturing turnkey plants for liquid or solid handling.

Companies from the plastics industry, the chemical industry and the food industry regularly benefit from the individual process engineering plants – made in Germany. Originally a handicraft business, KITZMANN has developed into a plant manufacturer through continuous growth in the years following its foundation and has now been operating successfully on the market for almost 50 years.

Zeppelin Systems’ participation in the company strengthens its own market share in the field of
PVC applications. Despite the takeover, KITZMANN remains an independent company and
continues to be managed in equal parts by Dipl.-Ing.

Albrecht Gräfe and his son Dipl.-CEO Nico Gräfe. KITZMANN will continue to serve its customers from its Lengerich location. Previously active primarily in the German and neighboring European markets, Zeppelin Systems gives the company the backing it needs for global growth.

https://www.zeppelin.com/de-de/

Solvay to Supply Avio with Advanced Materials for Space Exploration

Solvay has signed a long-term agreement with Avio to supply advanced composite and adhesive materials for demanding applications in aerospace.

Solvay and Avio SpA have signed a long-term agreement for the supply of composite and adhesive materials
to be used across a range of programs including the Vega space programs, the European Space Agency’s
satellite launch vehicles designed to send payloads into low Earth orbit (LEO).

Solvay will supply Avio with ablative material, RTM resins and adhesives. Solvay has a strong legacy in the
space market and has long been a leader in ablative materials for space applications, such as nozzles and exit
cones. Solvay’s products have been used across many space launch programs over the years, thanks to their
ability to withstand the extremely high temperatures produced by the rocket motor exhaust.

Avio has over 50 years of history designing, developing, producing and integrating space launchers for placing
institutional, governmental and commercial payloads in earth orbit through its Vega rocket family.

“We are excited to extend our partnership with industry leader Avio and continue to support Vega critical
missions,” explained Carmelo Lo Faro, president of Solvay’s Materials Segment. “We are all currently seeing
renewed enthusiasm and investment in the global space race and we believe that our advanced materials will
be key enablers for space exploration, space tourism and also the launch placement of satellite constellations.
We helped put the first man on the moon and will be there for the first woman on Mars!”

“The Long Term Agreement strengthens the relationship between our companies. It also secures the supply to
AVIO of strategic products for VEGA family launchers in the upcoming years, when the demand of launchers
to place satellites into LEO orbits is expected to increase,” adds Sergio Colabucci, AVIO Procurement Director.

Click here

PrintCYC provides important input for design for recycling guidelines

Research evaluates the impact of printing inks on the recyclability of plastic films

Printing inks have a major impact on the recyclability of plastic films, the recycling process, the quality of regranulates as well as their processability. The PrintCYC initiative started two years ago to investigate this impact more closely and drive circular economy. Today, the initiative is once again providing insights into its research work: Currently focusing on the impact of pigments on the recycling process, PrintCYC has found that standard pigments for flexo- and rotogravure printing show excellent compatibility with recycling and enable recyclates comparable to virgin film. This opens a wide range of reuse possibilities in different film and packaging applications.

The PrintCYC consortium was established in 2019 to support the transformation of printed polyolefine-based packaging films towards a circular economy by evidence-based industrial trials. Key stakeholders are leading machine manufacturers such as Brückner Maschinenbau, Erema, Kiefel and PackSYS Global, the printing ink manufacturer hubergroup Print Solutions, and Profol, one of the market leaders for PP cast films. The initiative is coordinated by Dr Annett Kaeding-Koppers, an independent packaging expert and sustainability consultant. PrintCYC is connected to converters and in continuous dialogue with brandowners, recyclers, and platforms such as Ceflex and Forum Rezyklat to discuss and share results.

SABIC PIONEERS WITH NEW LNP ELCRIN IQ COMPOUNDS USING PRE-CONSUMER RECYCLED GLASS FIBER TO ACCELERATE CARBON NEUTRALITY

SABIC, a global leader in the chemical industry, launched today new LNP ELCRIN WF006XXPiQ compound and LNP ELCRIN WF0061XPiQ compound, the first two grades in a new portfolio of materials that incorporate preconsumer recycled glass fiber diverted from the waste stream of industrial processes. These polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) compounds, each reinforced with 30 percent pre-consumer recycled short glass fiber, offer mechanical properties and color equivalency of ELCRIN iQ grades that use virgin glass fiberreinforcement. 

This new technology further decreases the carbon footprint of ELCRIN iQ materials, which already support the circular economy and help reduce plastic waste by using upcycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) from discarded water bottles.

“We are continually pursuing new avenues to accelerate carbon neutrality for our materials across our portfolio” said Luc Govaerts, director, Formulation & Application Development for SABIC’s Specialties Business. “This effort includes evaluating each component of our thermoplastic compounds and collaborating with others in the value chain to identify potential replacements that can drive circularity. Central to this process is the prioritization of customer needs, so that greater sustainability goes hand-in-hand with outstanding performance, consistent quality and processing efficiency.”

Lowering Environmental Impacts

SABIC is one of the first material suppliers to adopt pre-consumer recycled glass fiber for thermoplastic compounds. The short glass fiber used in these new ELCRIN iQ materials contains 100 percent recycled content according to Underwriters Laboratories’ Recycled Content Validation procedure (UL 2809), following the mass balance approach. Compared to virgin PBT reinforced with virgin glass fiber, LNP ELCRIN WF006XXPiQ compound contains 67 percent recycled content and lowers carbon footprint by 29 percent, while LNP ELCRIN WF0061XPiQ compound contains 55 percent recycled content and reduces carbon footprint by 24 percent.

In addition to their improved sustainability profile, these materials deliver good structural performance (stiffness and strength), chemical resistance and colorability for applications in the consumer electronics, automotive and electrical & electronics industries.

Furthermore, the new LNP ELCRIN WF0061XPiQ compound offers non-halogenated flame retardance. As a drop-in replacement for incumbent virgin PBT and ELCRIN iQ grades, the two new compounds enable customers to increase application sustainability without the need for design or tooling changes.

“These two next-generation materials create new possibilities for customers to advance their carbon neutralitystrategy by further increasing the amount of recycled content they use and lowering the carbon emissions of their applications, all while maintaining equivalent properties and processability,” said Darpan Parikh, Global Product Management Leader, LNP Portfolio, SABIC’s Specialties business. “For SABIC, the move to adopt pre-consumer recycled glass fiber reinforces our commitment to optimize the use of resources and contribute to our customers net zero carbon goals.

”SABIC plans to extend the use of pre-consumer recycled glass fiber to reinforced compounds based on other resins from their specialty offerings. These new products are available for sampling globally and formulations can be tailored to customers’ specific needs.

Click here 

PROTECTING PLASTIC PIPES AGAINST FREEZING

New Technical Document Answers Questions About Insulating Plastic Pressure Piping Systems

 The Plastics Pipe Institute, Inc. (PPI), has published a new Technical Note related to the protection of plastic pressure piping materials against freezing. PPI is the major trade association representing the plastic pipe industry.

The new PPI Technical Note TN-65 “Insulation Recommendations for Plastic Pressure Piping Materials in Residential Applications” focuses on insulating plastic pressure piping materials against freezing. It applies to hot- and cold-water piping materials CPVC, PEX, PE-RT, PEX-AL- PEX, PP-R, and PP-RCT, and is directed to applications such as plumbing distribution, fire protection, and Hydronics.

According to PPI, although plastic piping materials are inherently better insulators of heat energy than traditional metal pipe materials such as steel and copper, there are several situations where plastic pipe materials should be insulated for protection against freezing of fluids within the
pipes.

“Insulation will of course reduce heat transfer through the walls of piping materials,” explained Lance MacNevin, P. Eng., director of engineering for PPI’s  Building & Construction Division. “This improves system efficiency and performance in a wide range of applications. Energy savings and faster delivery of hot water are other benefits of proper pipe insulation.

TN-65 provides recommendations to prevent freezing in a variety of applications, based on multiple industry publications and the collaborative input of PPI members. It also addresses the use of heat trace cable and shares techniques for thawing frozen plastic pipes. It’s intended for plumbers, builders, designers, inspectors, and others.

The new technical note includes the following sections:

•  Recommendations to prevent freezing of pipes in water service, plumbing, fire protection, chilled water, Hydronics, snow & ice melting.
•  Excerpts from Model Code such as the UMC, UPC, USHGC, IMC, IPC, NPC, NSPC, CSA B214, and CSA C448 regarding piping insulation and protection.
•  Usage of heat trace cable.
• Approved techniques for thawing frozen plastic pipes.

Click here

Consistently strong demand for hydrogenation at Saltigo

Mumbai, December 3, 2021 – What do a highly effective disinfectant, an industrial lubricant, and the well-known insect repellent Saltidin (icaridin) have in common? Hydrogenation is a key step in the synthesis sequences of all of these substances. Saltigo GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of the specialty chemicals company LANXESS, produces hundreds of tons of these products and their precursors each year. “Our flexible campaign management enables us to fulfill a large number of customer requests even when demand is high,” explains Dr. Claus Dreisbach, Hydrogenation Plant Manager at Saltigo.

Hydrogenation with gaseous hydrogen that often takes place in a pressurized environment and sometimes at high temperatures is one of the core competencies of the Leverkusen-based specialist in exclusive synthesis. Saltigo has many decades of experience in this area and a modern, efficient production base in order to carry out
numerous variants of these reactions safely, also on a large scale.

Large campaigns preferred
The hydrogenation plant focuses on substances with an annual production volume of between 100 and 2,000 tons (t). “Campaigns of between 100 and 600 tons are the most fun,” says Dreisbach with a wink, before justifying this focus: “Our equipment is optimally designed for that volume, which makes for maximum productivity.” But smaller campaigns of between 20 and 100 t are regularly on the production schedule. In total, the plant produced well over 5,000 t of hydrogenated products last year. It also manufactures according to the “just in time” principle: always aligned with the individual requirements of customers as well as the availability of raw materials
and equipment. This enables high storage costs to be avoided throughout the supply chain.

The hydrogenation reactions that are generally catalyzed with transition metals or their complexes can be applied to a wide variety of feedstocks and create products with a high level of purity and a high yield for the most part. In this way, olefins and polyolefins are turned into saturated hydrocarbons, aromatic or heteroaromatic compounds are turned into cycloaliphates, and aldehydes or ketones and imines or nitriles, respectively, are turned into alcohols or amines, for example.

Pressure vessel is the centerpiece
At the heart of the hydrogenation plant are two pressure-resistant reaction vessels as well as a cascade of pressure vessels that enables continuous production. The reaction pressures can be as high as 180 bar at temperatures of up to 320 °C. A separate tank farm as well as numerous processing systems for isolating the target components are effectively integrated in the plant.

“Hydrogenation with hydrogen including the asymmetric reaction variants are part of the established technological portfolio of many a provider of exclusive synthesis. It is indispensable for manufacturing a wide variety of important chemical agents and intermediates. However, carrying out reactions like these safely and efficiently, especially on a large scale, is anything but trivial. That is where our many years of experience pay dividends,” says Dreisbach in summing up. Adherence to the quantities and delivery dates stipulated are other important arguments for choosing an experienced, reliable synthesis partner.

Detailed information on Saltigo’s products and services can be found online at https://saltigo.com.

Alternative to animal testing

R|ElanTM GreenGold Ecocean – A Sustainable fabric that cares for our Oceans

Growing crisis of ocean pollution and efforts to tackle this from Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) A large part of our global population directly depends on the oceans for their livelihood. Most of the waste that is collected near oceans, which eventually enters water bodies, is coming from land-based sources. Waste PET bottles are one of the most visible component of ocean pollution with millions of tons of plastic entering the seas and oceans every year severely affecting marine life.

Hence, it is imperative that measures are taken at every level to control this pollution since protecting the planet is a global concern and our collective responsibility.

Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), India’s largest private sector company, is spearheading the adoption of circular economy concepts. As a part of its strategy to enhance sustainability,

Reliance, has built substantial capacities in recycling post-consumer PET bottles into high-quality branded polyester – R|ElanTM GreenGold. Reliance, the pioneer in India in making fibers out of post-consumer used PET bottles, recycles over 2 billion PET bottles every year and is committed to increase the recycling capacity year on year.

R|ElanTM GreenGold Ecocean – A key solution to deal with the menace of ocean pollution Reliance has secured supply chains for collection of post-consumer PET bottles through OBP (Ocean bound plastic) route and has introduced a new product – R|ElanTM GreenGold Ecocean.

Reliance Industries Limited – Barabanki Manufacturing Division has been awarded OBP – Ocean Bound Plastic Recycling Organization Standard V1.1 by the Control Union.

While commenting on certification award to RIL, Ms Marjorie Platero, Control Union said “We at Control Union believe in assisting textile brands meet their standard requirements with respect to sustainable products. With growing public awareness amongst consumers, the demand for fashion made from certified sustainable content has also increased. Control Union Certifications declares to have audited Reliance Industries Limited, Barabanki unit and its products which are in certified in accordance to the requirements of Recycling Organization Standard as referred in their scope certificate”.

Ocean Bound Plastic is abandoned plastic waste located within the range of 50km from the shore in communities or areas where waste management is non-existent or very inefficient. This is important, since the probability of plastic waste reaching oceans increases with the proximity of rivers or shores.

To make R|ElanTM GreenGold Ecocean fabric, 100% used PET bottles are rescued before they reach and pollute the oceans. These are cleaned, crushed and converted into flakes. The flakes are then washed and converted into high quality fibers, yarns, and fabrics.

The making of R|ElanTM GreenGold Ecocean fabric helps in diverting and recycling waste. This not only helps in keeping the water bodies cleaner but also keeps the marine life safer.

Many leading global brands have started preferring PET collected from beaches and shores that would otherwise end up in oceans, rivers, or lakes and have started using these to manufacture apparels and footwear from Ocean Bound plastics. Consumers are increasingly becoming more aware and sensitive to using eco-friendly products including in their apparels and accessories.

These factors are making R|ElanTM GreenGold Ecocean as one of the most sought-after fabric among leading brands, retailers, fashion designers and style enthusiasts.

Reliance has developed a wide range of GreenGold product portfolio that includes possibilities to combine sustainability with various functional benefits like moisture management (R|ElanTM Kooltex), thermal management (R|ElanTM AirTherm), all weather comfort (R|ElanTM AllClima) and fibres that bio-mimic bio-degradation process (R|ElanTM EcoGold with CiClO®).

Superior Features of GreenGold Ecocean that adds immense value to its customers

Value Proposition for Brands and Retailers
• Assured 100% post-consumer used PET bottles from OBP route
• One of the most eco-friendly fibers
• Best-in-class quality and performance in fabric comparable to virgin products
• Product and bottle traceability options available, along with digital traceability against specific orders
• Consistent dyeing performance
• Superior whiteness index and strength parameters
• Extensive supply chain support from yarns to garments, through Hub Excellence Program (HEP) partners which includes spinners, knitters, weavers and processors

Value Proposition for Yarn and Fabric Mills
• Diversified product range for varied apparel and home textile categories
• CV % for GreenGold Ecocean fiber properties is quite low, giving supreme yarn quality
• Availability of large lots for uniformity and consistency
• Comprehensive product basket of pre-coloured, dope-dyed fibers
• Extensive technical support at all stages of manufacturing throughout the value chain

Versatile product applications across fashion apparel and home textile

R|ElanTM GreenGold Ecocean fabric can be used in manufacturing casual wear, denims, formals and womenswear. This fabric is also available for home textile segment under the brand name Recron® GreenGold Ecocean.

Enabling high quality eco-friendly fashion

R|ElanTM GreenGold Ecocean exemplifies circular economy concepts and is strongly enabling textile and fashion industry with such high-quality sustainable fabric. Taking forward our efforts in enabling eco-friendly fashion, R|ElanTM GreenGold Ecocean will support brand and retailers achieve their style goals and sustainability commitments at the same time.