Closed-loop: Aliplast system for reuse of plastic packaging

By Jim Cornall

- Last updated on GMT

Aliplast can take care of the whole waste material processing cycle from collection of the disposed product at the customer company center to the delivery of regenerated material. Pic: Aliplast
Aliplast can take care of the whole waste material processing cycle from collection of the disposed product at the customer company center to the delivery of regenerated material. Pic: Aliplast

Related tags Circular economy Plastic Packaging

A ‘closed-loop’ circular system that allows for the introduction of plastic materials in the recycling cycle, reducing costs and impact on the environment, has been developed by Italy's Aliplast, a Gruppo Hera company and European producer of flexible PE films, PET sheets and regenerated polymers.

The closed-loop system can be leveraged by companies in industries such as packaging (for food and beverage) and ceramics.

The company says there are two main benefits.

The first, more immediate one, relates to the ecosystem. The company said the adoption of its circular model leads to an indefinite extension of the lifespan of plastics, promoting its recovery and limiting its release into the environment.

Aliplast_ClosedLoop

The second benefit is economic, resulting from the adoption of a closed-loop process. Taking advantage of a closed-loop system allows Aliplast’s customers to get the most from their plastic waste, while also guaranteeing the continuous availability of quality-controled material.

The company said its closed-loop system is a vertical process for the recovery and recycling of plastics. First, waste is collected in the customer company’s production center, where the most suitable equipment to separate them and reduce their volume is provided by Aliplast.

The next stage involves transport to one of Aliplast’s processing centers (in Italy, France, Spain, or Poland). Here, the material is ground and regenerated. The finished product is a material comparable to virgin plastic in terms of quality, which can then be processed to obtain flexible PE films or can be kept in granules to be converted at a later date.

Aliplast said it offers a turnkey service, taking care of the whole waste material processing cycle from the collection of the disposed product at the customer company center to the delivery of regenerated material.

Since 2017, Aliplast has been a part of Herambiente, the first national waste treatment company.