Rondo Plast, a subsidiary of Swedish compounder Polykemi, has announced an investment of almost €1 million to expand its plastic recycling capacity.
The Ystad-based recycler has added a new plastic compactor and a new cutting machine, increasing the facility’s processing capacity by 4,000 tonnes a year. The technology will allow Rondo Plast to process a wider range of low density materials in a variety of shapes.
The machinery can handle fibres, ropes, non-woven textiles such as diapers, dust, and shavings made of PA6, PA66, PBT, PC, and PP, Patrik Lindqvist, strategic purchaser at Rondo Plast, told Sustainable Plastics.
The new cutting machine will allow Rondo Plasto to handle longer or tangled pieces of fibre and rope, for example polyamide fibres from clothes or carpet production.
“In some cases, this type of material was previously discarded as combustible waste, but now we can upgrade and reuse it in our production of high-quality recycled plastic compounds,” Lindqvist added.
Rondo Plast’s Ystad facility now has an upgraded recycling capacity between 25,000 and 30,000 tonnes/year, depending on polymer, Lindqvist told Sustainable Plastics.
The announcement comes as many European plastic recyclers decrease their production capacity or even close their doors, amidst decreased demand, high energy prices, and lack of competitiveness with imported feedstock.