A pilot plant for a new polyester recycling process is to be built in Emmen / The Netherlands and planned to be in operation by summer 2019. The "CuRe" is a low-energy process able to recycle mixed and coloured polyester waste from applications such as carpets, textiles and food packaging, says Dutch development company Cumapol (Emmen; www.cumapol.com).

The pilot plant will have a capacity of 25,000 t/y and is being built in partnership with carpet specialist DSM Niaga (Zwolle / The Netherlands; www.niaga.world) and recycler Morssinkhof Rymoplast (Lichtenvoorde / The Netherlands; www.morssinkhofplastics.nl). This plant is a step towards conversion of Cumapol's existing polymerisation lines. Others working with CuRe are DuFor Polyester Specialties (Zevenaar / The Netherlands; www.dufor.nl), NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences and Windesheim University of Applied Sciences.

Cumapol says CuRe allows the processing of any polyester type as well as colour removal to get clear resin suitable for food-contact applications, with the same properties as virgin material. The procedure is settled between purely mechanical and chemical recycling, details are not yet available. It could be a solution process without polymer degradation.