Amsterdam, Netherlands
Internship Explorer
Internship Explorer
The recycling of PET packaging is done in a number of steps: collection, sorting, washing, shredding, transformation into plastic pellets and, finally, the reuse of these to produce new packaging. Recycling starts with the collection of PET packaging, bottles, and containers, in conventional recycling bins or via deposit return schemes. The PET packaging is then separated from the rest of the collected waste at a sorting facility, then compressed into bales to be transported to washing and shredding plants. Several washing and sorting stages (mechanical and optical) are needed to rid it of any unwanted material. The shredding stage results in PET flakes that are sorted by colour: clear, blue, light blue and mixed colours. To make the plastic ready for reuse, it goes through an extrusion phase, where the flakes are melted at a high temperature then cooled down and cut into pellets, then a phase of polycondensation at a high temperature. At the end of the process, the pellets are suitable for food contact applications. Packaging manufacturers then buy these recycled PET pellets for use in the production of new packaging using injection moulding, injection blow moulding or thermoforming processes. This new packaging enters the market and could end up supplying the recycling chain again in the future.
