BRAZIL – Swiss packaging company SIG has invested US$1.9 million (BRL 10m) in advanced technology designed to improve the value of recycled aseptic cartons in Brazil.
According to SIG, the new technology allows polymers and aluminum from used aseptic carton packs to be recovered and sold individually on an industrial scale in Brazil for the first time.
SIG said that the move will also expand the range of applications for recycled materials.
The leftover polyethylene and aluminum mix, also known as polyaluminum or PolyAl, from this process can be recycled into material for things like furniture, pallets, and roofing.
SIG’s recycling plant will leverage the new technology to separate the polyethylene from the aluminum in PolyAl to develop a market and demand for these materials.
Additionally, the new technology, which was developed over five years with project partner ECS Consulting, has already undergone a trial project that showed the efficiency of this chemical recycling procedure.
The new recycling plant, which is currently in construction in the state of Paraná, is anticipated to be operational in 2024 with an initial production capacity of 200 tonnes per month.
SIG has also invested in a German facility to separate polymers and aluminum from PolyAl, which went into production in 2021.
SIG Americas President and General Manager Ricardo Rodriguez said: “We are excited to bring to Brazil a new technology that will enable the separation of aluminum and polyethylene layers from carton packs, thereby expanding the market for these materials and generating more value from the separated waste.
“This project is the latest in a series of innovative collaborations led by SIG to boost collection and recycling rates for used aseptic cartons and grow the recycling chain in a sustainable way.”
The Swiss packaging firm has many programs to support two other recycling steps that include the collection of used packaging from customers and the separation of the packaging for the right recycling streams.
In June this year, the Swiss packaging company acquired flexible packaging company Scholle IPN.
The acquisition has enabled SIG to provide sustainable low-carbon packaging solutions across a wide range of categories and product sizes.
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