rPET for bottles is a responsible and sustainable choice

MOSCOW (MRC) -- While beverage producers may still hold reservations about using recycled PET, according to KHS, a supplier of filling and packaging systems based in Dortmund, Germany, sees increasing bottle-to-bottle recycling rates as one sustainable solution to the challenges facing the industry, said Sustainableplastics.

The degradation occurring the mechanical recycling of polypropylene, polyethylene or polystyrene is irreversible. However, this is not the case for recycled PET. In fact, PET is currently the only recycled plastic approved as a food-contact material.

In Germany alone, about 93% of this material is recovered and reused. Nonetheless, in the past safety standards and quality issues were important factors inhibiting the wide-scale adoption of the use of recycled PET in bottles. Hence, following collection, many were – and still are - reprocessed into films and fibre, depriving the bottle-to-bottle recycling loop of a major source of raw material.

Now, however, the years of exploring technologies, trials and testing have borne fruit: as the company argues, from a technical standpoint there is ‘nothing preventing the global use of high percentages of recycled PET’ for bottle production.

As a result, more and more beverage producers and brands are venturing in the direction of bottles made of 100% recyclate. Where this is not yet the case, various voluntary commitments have been announced: Poland Spring, one of the biggest water brands in the USA, and Evian aim to use only recycled PET in their bottles by 2025. The other brands by Danone Waters, Pepsi and Coca-Cola plan to introduce a worldwide quota of 50% by that same year.
Their ultimate goal is for consumers to recognise the slight greying that can occur when PET bottles are recycled several times over as a hallmark of quality for sustainable packaging.

At KHS, rPET has long been a focus. The Group has been studying its use since 2012, and has a dedicated Bottles and Shapes service programme that analyses the performance of rPET on the stretch blow moulders and filling and packaging lines engineered by the Dortmund systems supplier.

“We run tests to qualify recycled PET so that we can tell our customers in advance which impact the material will have on the blow moulder and bottle quality,” said Arne Wiese, product manager for Bottles & Shapes at KHS Corpoplast.

KHS also works closely with preform manufacturers, consulting with ‘all of the major plastics processors in Europe on this topic’, said Wiese, in addition to liaising with various engineering companies on preform manufacture. Thanks to this close cooperation, data from the injection molding process can be used just in time to adapt the stretch blow moulding process. This makes bottle production faster and more efficient and improves the quality of the finished containers.

An additional challenge is the colour differences that occur from batch to batch of recyclate. “Darker material absorbs heat better. The lower heating capacity requires less energy. This makes production more efficient yet means that adaptations must be made to the blow moulding program on the stretch blow moulder,” explained Wiese.

The intrinsic viscosity of the material is another issue. "The longer the recyclate is boiled under vacuum, the longer the polymer chains become. This means that the intrinsic viscosity increases and the quality improves. However, this results in additional costs which not everyone is prepared to invest," Wiese added.

“Here, we have to come up with ways of redistributing the material from uncritical areas – the bottle base in the case of still water – to more critical zones.” Experience shows that manufacturers of premium brands – whose containers have thicker walls – have less cause for adjustment than discounters, where all of the lightweighting options have often been exhausted."

In collaboration with inspection technology manufacturer Agr International, KHS has now developed the Unit Mold Control, a digital, automated control system which regulates the blow stations on KHS’s InnoPET Blomax stretch blow moulders individually.

Through continuous wall thickness inspection, it helps to control material distribution more precisely, reduces variations in the wall thickness by up to 30% and lessens any fluctuations in quality - especially relevant when using recyclate - during stretch blow moulding.

According to Bottles & Shapes expert Arne Wiese there are no convincing arguments against the use of recycled PET in beverage bottles. The only relevant difference he sees between virgin PET and recycled material is the slightly darker colour. This is a question of sorting, however – and only really visible in water bottles. In his view: “As far as the mechanics are concerned, there is nothing to stop companies converting to rPET, providing ideal conditions for the creation of a functioning circular economy."

As per MRC's ScanPlast report, the estimated consumption of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in Russia increased in January 2020 by 9% year on year. Totally, Russia recycled 55,390 tonnes of PET chips in January (excluding shipments of Russian material to the countries of the Customs Union). PET chips production in Russian in January 2020 totalled 43,200 tonnes.
MRC

India considers COVID-19 import tax on chemicals

MOSCOW (MRC) -- India to consider imposing a 15% “Covid-19” import tax on chemicals to help protect its domestic industry from major exporting nations in East and SE Asia, as per Kemicalinfo.

The domestic industry has been badly affected by a major demand slump as a result of nationwide coronavirus lockdown.

The new tax, which would be in effect from 1st May 2020 to 31 March 2021, is being proposed by a government sub-committee under the Chemicals and Fertilizers Ministry.

Industry body Chemexcil (Basic Chemicals, Cosmetics & Dyes Export Promotion Council), which is requesting feedback on the plan from the Ministry said that the move is an effort “to protect the domestic producers against any surge in imports caused by the pandemic.”

“The current situation presents a real threat of an extended period of price depression on account of aggressive exports from China and other countries, which will force several producers to suspend operations and ultimately close down,” it said.

The proposed tax will be added in addition to current import duties.

The committee is also proposing that all duties and taxes on exports be refunded for domestic manufacturers.

With possible exemptions for ethylene, paraxylene (PX), ethylene dichloride (EDC) and vinyl chloride monomer (VCM), the recommendation covers all other chemicals and petrochemicals imported by India.

India is a major chemicals importer, including polymers, monomers and solvents. If introduced, the new tax would impact domestic importers and distributors.

EDC and VCM are the main feedstocks for the production of polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

According to MRC's DataScope report, exports of suspension polyvinyl chloride (SPVC) from Russia totalled 45,600 tonnes in the first three months of 2020, down by 4% year on year. Imports increased, but still remained at a low level.
MRC

COVID-19 - News digest as of 28.04.2020

1. KNPC says oil refinery project halted over coronavirus case

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The Kuwait National Petroleum Co. (KNPC) said work on a project linked to the Al-Ahmadi oil refinery was halted because a worker was diagnosed with the new coronavirus, said Reuters. The worker, an Indian national, was employed by a contractor, KNPC said on Twitter, without giving details about the project.


MRC

Ukrainian EPS imports rise by 2% in Jan-Mar 2020

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Imports of expandable polystyrene (EPS) into the Ukrainian market increased in the first quarter of 2020 by 2% year on year, totalling 5,900 tonnes, according to MRC's DataScope report.

This figure was at 5,800 tonnes in January-March 2019.


Russian material accounted for 68% (4,000 tonnes) of the total shipments in the first three months of 2020, compared to 51% (2,900 tonnes) a year earlier. Chinese EPS shipments fell sharply over the stated period to 8% (440 tonnes) from 41% (2,400 tonnes) in January-March 2019.

Last month's EPS imports into Ukraine were 2,000 tonnes versus 1,800 tonnes a month earlier and 2,200 tonnes in March 2019.

The share of Russian material fell to 46% (930 tonnes) last month from 78% (1,400 tonnes) a month earlier. The share of Russian material remained in March at the level of February, totalling 7% (145 tonnes).

MRC

Neftekhim Ltd shut PP production

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Kazakh Neftekhim Ltd, Kazakhstan's only polypropylene (PP) producer, shut down its PP production for an unscheduled maintenance, according to the ICIS-MRC Price report.

The plant’s customers said the Kazakh producer had fully shut its PP production by 26 April, because of the termination of feedstock shipments from the Pavlodar refinery. The local refinery also suspended its operations due to a catastrophic drop in demand for oil products.

The deadlines for the Pavlodar refinery to resume from forced shutdown and the resumption of PP production by Neftekhim LTD have not yet been announced.

Neftekhim Ltd was commissioned in 2009. The company produces methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) and polypropylene (PP). The plant's PP production with the capacity of 45,000 tonnes/year was launched in 2011; the plant did not have PP granulation unit then, polymer was produced in the form of powder, which limited its field of application.
MRC