NGR helps Finnish company develop recycling technique

Austria-based plastic recycling equipment maker Next Generation Recyclingmaschinen GmbH (NGR) has supplied a recycling system to Woodly Ltd., a Finland-based company that makes a plastic film-type material using wood cellulose.

“Recycling Woodly material from film to granules was easy, and the granules were of high clarity,” says Dr. Peter Hierzenberge, NGR’s development and process technology engineer. “From the recycled Woodly granules, a clear, 20-micrometer thin cast film could be produced in our lab under typical polyolefin processing conditions and extruder settings, indicating that the material is suited for blown film processes as well. This is rare, as typically the reprocessing of bio-based plastics into thin films is not a simple task. Woodly’s material is a perfect match for NGR’s existing equipment.”

Martta Asikainen, the chief technology officer of Woodly, comments, “We believe that the future of plastics is both renewable and recyclable. That is the only way to meet the growing material demand in a sustainable way. Our goal is to reduce the need for fossil feedstock as well as for virgin material. With NGR we have found a reliable partner for recycling, with whom we will be glad to expand the collaboration.”

Woodly is planning to bring its film material to market in 2020 in various packaging applications. “In our opinion, the current situation with the coronavirus has highlighted the urgent need for sustainability. Our mission to accelerate the shift toward a circular economy is now more relevant than ever,” says Asikainen.

“Fortunately, there are many like-minded brand owners that have it in their strategy to look beyond this current situation and invest in the future,” adds Asikainen. “Now that we have demonstrated the recyclability of Woodly material with NGR, we expect there will be even more interest toward our material.”

According to the 2018 European Strategy for Plastics, by 2030 all plastics packaging placed on the EU market must be either reusable or easily recyclable, says NGR. Woodly Ltd.’s wood cellulose-based commercial product has been designed to be recyclable with existing plastic recycling technology, which has now been verified, adds the firm.