After two years of research, the CLIPP project has been completed, in which a new technology has been developed that would considerably improve the recycling of printed films and light packaging. Nine partners from Germany, England, Slovenia and Spain have participated in this project, which has received funding from the Seventh Framework Program of the European Union, covering the entire global value chain of the packaging sector. The key members of this initiative have been the Technological Institute of Plastics (AIMPLAS), Emsur Saymopack, Extruder Experts, Gneuss, Skymark, Aligoplast, Grefusa, Fraunhofer-ICT and PCS.
Through the application of this technology, the recycled material reaches a higher quality level compared to what could be achieved previously, which allows it to be used in the manufacture of high-value products: in packaging films and sheets or in pieces. for the automotive or electrical sector. “The technology proposed in the CLIPP project is based on a novel extrusion process with a CO2 injection system that allows the pollutants present in the plastic to be extracted. The recycled plastic material obtained as a result contains a much lower level of organic compounds, less odor and less coloration, while preserving the mechanical properties of the virgin material ”, affirms the principal investigator at AIMPLAS, Vicente Martínez.
In addition, the low cost of the process allows a higher margin of savings for the future use of the original raw material in applications with high added value. Finally, the process developed in the CLIPP project has a positive net environmental contribution, by allowing virgin material to be substituted for recycled material.
