Coming to Amsterdam: high-tech plastics recycling hub
Business, Plastics
– Kirstin Linnenkoper – December 19, 2018
A new plastic scrap recycling plant is being constructed at the Port of Amsterdam which will process 17 000 tonnes of Dutch post-consumer plastics per year.
Recycling tech company Umincorp has joined forces with waste management provider Milieu Service Nederland to create a 'recycling hub'. Construction of the innovative facility started on 17 December. The site relies on magnetic density separation (MDS) technology and can be expanded on a modular basis.
Almost perfect purity
The collected plastics are first washed, shredded and then routed through a magnetic bath. Thanks to the patented MDS approach, the recycling plant will be able to separate different types of plastic with a purity of 99%. The sorted plastics can then be processed into high-quality new packaging materials.
This novel method represents a 'breakthrough' in sustainable plastics recycling, according to Umincorp. The sorting solution was originally developed by R&D specialists at Delft University of Technology. It saves as much as 90% of CO2 while reducing up to 75% of costs in the supply chain, compared to traditional technologies.
Innovative transformation
'Any recyclable plastics will be transformed into raw materials for new plastics, while non-recyclable plastics are converted into transport fuel by Integrated Green Energy Solutions Amsterdam, which is also established in our port,' says Roon van Maanen, Director Circular & Renewable Industry at Port of Amsterdam.
Meanwhile, Ikea's parent company Ingka has announced plans to invest in Umincorp's sorting innovation, adds Umincorp ceo Jaap Van de Hoek. He believes the Port of Amsterdam is an 'ideal' location for a state-of-the-art recycling hub.
'With its existing large-scale collection of plastics and the growth of the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area in the years ahead, we can make a real difference in plastics recycling with our unique MDS technology,' the businessman states.