Amut has been awarded a new tender project by a joint venture between two world leader groups, specializing in raw materials production and rigid packaging solutions, engaged in the circular economy, in the Far East and worldwide. The Italian group will contribute as a turnkey supplier to the most important project for sorting and recycling post-consumer PET and HDPE bottles, carried on in the last two years in South East Asia region.

The lines, which will be processing light weight bottles with high percentages of PVC and non PVC shrinkable sleeves, will feature a double De-Labeller configuration. In the first stage the Amut patented De-Labeller performs a dry cleaning action able to detach most of the shrink sleeves labels while the second unit is a wet De-Labeller working as cold pre-washing, allowing to remove contaminants, without damaging the bottles and avoiding to lose the bottles necks during the process.

The washing process will include a plant for sorting and recycling post-consumer PET bottles, to make rPET high purity flakes intended to be used, after being treated through extrusion and SSP (Solid State Polymerization), in the beverage industry to produce preforms containing rPET, with a total capacity of 30,000 ton/year as net output. Another plant will be dedicated to sorting and recycling of post-consumer HDPE bottles for the production of rHDPE flakes food grade and, after being treated through extrusion, destined to the flexible and rigid packaging industry. The plant will have a capacity of 15,000 ton/year of rHDPE.

Amut washing technology is specifically studied to enhance the quality level and purity of flakes, suitable for the manufacture of new generated bottles. The whole process is engineered to comply with the most demanding bottle-to-bottle applications while minimizing operational costs, fresh water usage, cleaning agents and energy consumption. Fresh water usage is reduced to 1,1 liter for each kg of high purity flakes, thanks to Amut patented Friction Washer unit. The plant is scheduled to come online by the end of the next year.