National Container Group (NCG; www.ncg-europe.com), the reconditioning subsidiary of German industrial packaging specialist Mauser (Brühl; www.mausergroup.com), has expanded its existing portfolio by plastics recycling, and is now able to offer its customers full lifecycle services. The company has invested EUR 2.5m in a new 3,500 t/y state-of-the-art recycling line in Erkelenz / Germany, which will turn out rPE from used industrial plastic packaging and IBC bottles. Most of the output is to go towards internal use, a company spokesman told Plasteurope.com.

The new plant joins NCG’s network of 10 European sites specialised in the collection, laundry, washing and remanufacturing of used composites intermediate bulk containers (IBCs). Plastic packaging materials from these sites that the company finds can no longer be reused, are now sorted and graded in terms of their quality before being sent as cut, bailed and pre-cleaned material to Erkelenz.

Once the material gets to the recycling plant, it undergoes a process of shredding and wet grinding, followed by two separate friction washers that can operate at various temperatures using either water or caustic soda, explains NCG recycled plastics specialist Bernhard Heisel. The clean regrind then undergoes an extensive drying process after which the material is separated. Heisel added that the quality of the PE recyclate – which conforms to DIN EN ISO 16103:2005 – is further improved by an extrusion process, during which the melted materials pass two vacuum degasing zones to reduce migrated contaminations.