Exciting visit to film recycling

BDSI members followed the processing of film waste from the German yellow bag into recyclate at Systec Plastics Eisfeld.

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A special visit to southern Thuringia: Members of the Association of the German Confectionery Industry (BDSI) followed the recycling of film packaging from the German yellow bag and yellow garbage can at Systec Plastics Eisfeld. The company, which belongs to the Der Grüne Punkt group, produces 28,000 tons of recyclates annually – based exclusively on packaging waste from the German dual system. Manufacturers are paying more and more attention to recyclability when designing their packaging, because the right product design is an important prerequisite for this.

 

The BDSI members followed the films from the input warehouse, where the plastic waste pressed into bales awaits processing, through shredding and various stages of cleaning and washing to regranulation in the extruder. At the end, the plastic is available again as Systalen® brand regranulate for the manufacture of new products. And that is what is special about Systalen® from Eisfeld: it is also used in films, for example for the transport of packaged products.

 

"Particularly in view of the challenges expected from Brussels, it was important and helpful for us to gain an insight into the production of recyclates and their possible applications in food products," sums up Julia Gisewski, head of the Brussels office of BDSI.

 

Many products are packaged in film, including confectionery. In order to optimally protect the product and make it ready for use, this is often the best solution. After use, consumers give the empty packaging in Germany to the collection for lightweight packaging. Some of it arrives in Eisfeld after sorting to be recycled here.

 

Thorsten Weber (center, with microphone) gave the group a tour of the facility (photo: Der Grüne Punkt).