Austrian machine maker Starlinger (Vienna; www.starlinger.com) said it has installed a “recoSTAR PET 165 iV+” to process post-consumer PET bottle flakes, at Indian recycling and waste-management company Srichakra Polyplast (Hyderabad; www.srichakra.in). According to the supplier, the rPET pellets produced are suitable for food-contact and thus suit food and beverage packaging. The unit is part of the Indian firm’s plan to expand its plastics recycling capabilities with an investment of USD 10m (EUR 8.6m).

For the processing of post-consumer polyolefin packaging, Srichakra currently uses Starlinger’s “recoSTAR dynamic 165 C-VAC”, which also features odour-reduction technology and can produce up to 1300 kg/hr of recycled pellets. In Asia, the Austrian firm also installed a PET recycling unit at Thailand’s EcoBlue a few months ago (see Plasteurope.com of 02.08.2021).

According to the UN Plastic Waste Management Programme India, only one-fourth of the country’s plastic waste is currently recycled. The reclaimed materials themselves are generally not high quality, which results in low levels of reuse. The country is also planning a phased ban on SUPs in 2022 (see Plasteurope.com of 14.04.2021).