Closing circularity loop: First-of-its-kind Polymer Center in North America

The Polymer Center sorts and processes the materials, which are delivered in bales, on two lines – one for PET and one for mixed plastics, each with a capacity of 5t/h.

As the largest Dual Line plastics recycling plant in the US, it is expected to put 100 million pounds of plastics a year back into the circular economy.

The materials fed into the PET line undergo mechanical separation and the singulated material is cleaned of ferrous particles. A STADLER STT2000 ballistic separator sorts the material into rolling (3D), flat (2D) and fines fractions.

The fractions go through sensor-based sorting with Near-Infrared (NIR) sorters. Caps, rings, and the 2D fraction go to compactors, while the 3D fractions are directed to a STADLER Label Remover to remove the labels.

The clear PET, caps and rings are directed to the Krones washing line, which granulates and cleans the material, while the color PET is compacted into bales.

On the Mixed Plastics treatment line, mechanical separation sorts the infeed into fines and sieve overflow. Sieve overflow is then further separated into light and heavy fractions.

The heavy mixed plastics fraction is sorted into four PE products – Natural, White, Red/Orange/Yellow, Other/Color, and two PP products – Natural/White and Other/Color.

PET is sorted out of the remaining material and sent to the PET line. The products of the mixed plastics line are conveyed to storage bunkers where a semi-automatic feeding program allows for materials to be discharged by grade to be fed into the baler.