Recycling plastics – Resource efficiency with an optimized sorting method

In Germany alone, two and a half million tons of plastic packaging land in the yellow trash can. German households pre-sort their garbage into four separate trash cans; yellow for plastics, brown for compost; blue for paper and black for non-recyclables. Since the various plastics are very difficult to separate from one another, most of the material is utilized for energy.

The film from VDI Resource Efficiency Center, Recycling plastics – Resource efficiency with an optimized sorting method depicts an improved sorting and processing method for valuable plastics, bringing the plastics life cycle full circle.

MEILO, a company in Gernsheim located in southern Hesse, sorts plastic trash from the yellow barrels in 30 repetitive sorting processes until the maximal purity of variety has been attained. Plastics are first separated according to size and then subjected to an air separator. In the following step, a near infrared scanner scans the plastics on the conveyor belt as they pass, communicating to a compressed air jet at the end of the conveyor belt which plastics are recyclable. Finally, the compressed air jet blows these material aside. Thus, varying plastics are sorted by an up to 98% purity of variety. In addition to the three major valuable plastics, HPDE, PP and PET, four other well-recyclable plastic varieties are gleaned from the river of trash.

At Systec Plastics GmbH in Eisfeld, Thuringia, the plastics sorted by MEILO GmbH are further processed to produce a premium commodity for the plastics industry. Here, plastics are shredded and cleansed. Repeated circuits beneath a near LED scanner sort the plastic flakes according to color before they are melted and once more filtered. The 99% pure granules are then filled into containers and transported.

Werner & Mertz GmbH, manufacturing laundry detergents and cleaning supplies, uses Systec Plastics GmbH granules to produce their packaging bottles. The granules are easily processed in Werner & Mertz GmbH’s standard production plants in Mainz. Their HDPE bottles and PP twist-off lids are made of 100% recycled plastics from the yellow trash can. Their PET bottles are composed of 20% recycled PET from yellow trash cans and 80% recycled plastic from deposit bottles.

The plastic life cycle comes full circle, the raw materials are recovered.
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Note:
Unfortunately, a mistake crept into the final overview table of the savings (15:25 min.). We apologize for this. The correct value: 4,168,000 kg CO2 equivalents per year are saved when using PET bottles made of 100% recycled material compared to conventional PET bottles (false: 12,320,490,000 kg).
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Comprehensive resource efficiency information:

Commissioned by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety

[JS-qgie]

Imagine how much easier sorting would be if we had an international uniform colour that was established for every plastic type.

[lilmack]

Thank God you people are saving our planet, literally. I separate my recycled products from my trash, only for the simple fact that I want my grandchildren to be able to experience what it's like to visit a beach with a clean ocean, and I want them to know what a polar bear is in their lifetime and not what an extinct bear once was. My hats off to your company for all the work your doing to help save our planet. Thank you.

[jasonbourne]

What amazes me the most is the machine that detects the color of individual plastic flakes and separates them via air pressure. I just cant wrap my head around how this is done with such precision, at such high speeds on such a small and flimsy material. /mind blown

[benjamimdemelocarvalho]

Congratulations to the Germans. Really impressive technology.

[KingScorpio]

its time packaging design becomes complient to recycling machines needs

[InCaldera]

This facility is LIGHTYEARS ahead of any of the ones in Canada, not to mention a hell of a lot cleaner. Working in a recycling plant separating out HDPE was the most soul sucking job I've ever had in my life. God bless anyone who can last at that type of job for more then a couple months because I'm pretty sure I would have turned into a serial killer had I not found something else.

[czhappy]

Kudos to those who created this recycling process. All countries should be required to install this type of recycling center in their countries!

[sandesh]

Hats off to these people who are working to save Mother Earth !

[irockluculent]

As a recycling enthusiast since the 1970's I found this video both educational and encouraging. This engineering brilliance to sort the plastics so thoroughly must be applied all over the world. (As an aside, I was amused to see that apparently many Germans, like the Americans, screw the bottle cap on as if the bottle is going to be refilled.) And even the German plastics recycling stream ends up with one third unusable inappropriate material. Public education needs a boost.

[Big-ki]

I will start new job tomorrow as a plastic waste delivery driver for recycling company in Birmingham. Therefore I find this video very informative in terms of illustrating the way the plastic waste processed and converted into new viable products.

[PenguinRead]

loved it! It's a full plastic recycle industry. It has lighten my day and boost the confidence of which we can make a bright future for sure. It's a fantastic project! Hopefully, it can be duplicated in other plastic heavy polluted countries with the company great collaboration!

[michaelauger]

What an awesome process! We all have to work together to rid our planet of the un recyclable plastics and to improve our streams. As a consumer I am try to be responsible. There is potential money making opportunities in all our waste streams.

[taliawin]

I'm 14 teenage girl from Asia.But now after seeing this video, I'm super excited for our future with recycle things .And if I would have any kids, I will teach him no to litter the trashes and how to recycle them🤗.

[_ThinkDifferent]

If only advanced sorting machinery like this widely available, purchasable internationally, and people really content to sort out their trash, it is possible to create recycling facilities like this around the globe. Especially in developing countries, where plastic waste is a major issue and the cost of labor is cheap. With this method, we can minimize the need for new plastics, fast-tracking efforts of more sustainable plastic regeneration.

[crystalidx]

Dirty work, but helps to keep the planet clean. Thank you workers

[armandopasague]

I admire the technology & people involve in setting up this huge recycling facility. This is what all nation must have to reduce plastic pollution. Reduce, reuse, recycle.

[johndoyle]

Excellent video, thanks.
I used to work in the cement industry burning these materials for energy, Re-use, then Re-cycle always beat energy use.

The sorting processes have improved enormously due to technology, and the computer processing speed, I love the optical separators with air blasts to strip out the bad guys.
Thanks

[a_kholdun]

"The journey of PP bottle cap"
0:18 first appearance
0:27 begin of the journey
2:01 on the way of the journey (identitiy reveal)
4:30 crossing the dead cliff
4:54 another on the way
5:23 another on the way pt.2
10:04 still on the way
12:18 the ultimate success
15:08 plot twist

[leejohnson]

This is a thoughtful, detailed video describing a process that is critical to society. I will do my best to sort my own waste output, or avoid "waste" altogether.

[josemelchor]

We need more of these facilities around the world especially in the big countries.