Erema introduces the ReFresher

At K 2016 Austria-based Erema introduced the ReFresher, which the company says produces odourless recyclate, opening up new markets for recyclers. Erema says its customers now have access to a mobile ReFresher for on-site testing.

“We recognised the potential of continuously increasing packaging waste early on and worked intensively on finding a technical solution for the odour issue,” says Manfred Hackl, Erema CEO. “With the ReFresher we offer recyclers and producers the edge in terms of quality to establish themselves in the marketplace with odourless recyclates from household waste.”

Erema says the ReFresher eliminates odours caused by migrated substances, i.e. residue left on the plastic materials. These include, for example, food contamination, cleaner/detergent residues and cosmetics.

The ReFresher is positioned downstream of the extrusion process and keeps the recyclates at the required temperature at which volatile materials can be discharged, the company says. The ReFresher is available in various expansion stages, depending on the end application.

Erema says the ReFresher is based on proven TVEplus technology and now offers filtrated, degassed and odourless recyclates for the first time in postconsumer recycling, even in the case of severely contaminated packaging. The Intarema TVEplus prevents unpleasant odours from developing in the course of the extrusion process. In conventional processes these develop through cellulose contamination, such as wood or paper, that burn during extrusion and transfer the smell to the plastic. The interplay of a preconditioning unit, Airflush technology, low melt temperature, efficient filtration and several degassing steps ensures that the cellulose particles are separated from the plastic, according to the company.

 "At the end of the extrusion process, what we have in our hands is high-quality recyclate which is already suitable for many applications,” says explains Clemens Kitzberger, post consumer business development manager at EREMA. “And here I am referring to extrusion products such as pipes or film in the waste management or construction industry.

“The odour caused by migrated substances, however, is more stubborn,” he continues. “End products such as plastic parts in cars or in the home call for an additional recycling step to neutralise the odour. And this is exactly what we developed the ReFresher for.”

TVEplus technology has a market share of around 85% in the postconsumer sector in Europe alone, Erema says.

Kitzberger says, "I am sure that the ReFresher will be another boost for the use of recyclates from postconsumer material. Whether it is in supermarkets or homes – I assume that we will come into contact with this type of odour-treated recyclate more and more in the future.”