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E-News Update December 2010 |
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Materials News
Closed loop recycling for labelling industry
M
itsubishi Plastics's American subsidiary, Mitsubishi Polyester Film, is setting up a closed loop process for waste polyester liner film, based on a technology it has developed. With this process, the company says, a cradle-to-cradle solution will be offered to the labelling industry.The US plant produces in-line silicone treated release films, which become the dispensing liner for labels. However, the labelling process leaves behind a "spent liner" after the label is placed onto a package or container. This leftover liner becomes waste for companies in the labelling value chain.
The company's researchers have developed a technology that blends new and "spent liner" recycled material in a patent pending proprietary process. The company says that an independent life cycle assessment found that this process, when used to produce recycled PET pellets, will decrease the energy demand by 91% and the global warming potential by 74%, compared to virgin pellet production.