International Partner Search

Innovation & Technology Request

Looking for new cost-effective and scalable sorting processes which are able to sort a mix of plastics into separate types of plastic

Country of Origin: Netherlands
Reference Number: TRNL20180410001
Publication Date: 10 April 2018

Summary

A Dutch subsidiary of a multinational company is active in water and waste management.
Their current waste separation process is not profitable to do additional sorting on the residual fraction of mixed plastics. To further improve their recycling achievements, the company is looking for new solutions for plastics-separation.
Cooperation is envisaged within the frame of a commercial agreement with technical assistance, a license agreement or a technical cooperation agreement.

Description

A Dutch subsidiary of a globally active company have been experts in water and waste management for 150 years.  

The company operates on 5 continents, on which it harnesses all its desire for innovation to achieve an efficient and sustainable management of resources throughout the world. Thereby enabling the circular economy by converting waste into raw materials.



The recycling industry uses a number of technologies to sort the different types of material which occur in plastic household packaging waste. In their existing installation(s) the company uses near-infra-red, ballistics, suction, sieve drums, magnets and eddy current to separate large volumes of waste. 

As this process is an optimization of (1) throughput (volumes), (2) effectivity (quality of the mono-flows) and (3) costs, the company is faced with a residual material flow of mixed-plastics. 

This flow contains different types of plastics. Due to cost-effectiveness it is currently not profitable to do additional sorting on this mix-fraction.

To further improve their recycling achievements, the company is looking for partners with new solutions for plastics-sorting.

The idea should be effective, cost-efficient and it should also be robust and scalable.

The challenge for potential partners is: create a very cost-effective and scalable sorting process which is able to sort a mix of plastics into separated types of plastic.

Objectives:

- Improve recycling rates;

- Increase sustainability;

- Optimise the circular economy.



Cooperation is mainly envisaged within the frame of a commercial agreement with technical assistance, a license agreement or a technical cooperation agreement. The company is open for other types of cooperation when appropriate.

Expertise sought

Technology providers with expertise in separation processes in particular separation of plastics.

Stage Of Development Comment

The following stages of development are welcome:

Already on the market

Available for demonstration

Concept Stage

Field Tested / Evaluated

Prototype available for demonstration

Requested partner

Type of partner: technology providers with whom the company would jointly develop and implement the new technology into their processes