STF and Zimmer sell PET bottle washing plant in Hawaii

Germany-based STF Group and Zimmer America Recycling Solutions, Cowpens, South Carolina, have sold an STF polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle recycling and washing plant to Malama One Recycling LLC, Waiakea Water, in Hilo, Hawaii.

The plant has the capacity to produce 3,300 pounds of PET flakes per hour and incorporates a modular design where the output can be increased to 5,500 pounds per hour. In addition to PET, high density polyethylene (HDPE) and polypropylene (PP) also can be recovered for sale.

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The line consists of machinery and equipment manufactured by STF, including material feeding and conveying systems, a bale breaker, dosing screws, a magnetic over-belt metal separator, a manual sorting station, a label scraper and star screen. The line also features Tomra Autosort optical bottle sorters with two parallel streams.

The washing equipment includes an STF wet grinder with a friction cleaner and circulation system; air stream separation; hot washers; a sink-float separation stage with stirring and separating containers; postwashers; Tomra flake sorting; filling stations for PET, polyolefins (PO) and labels; as well as a water treatment system with a decanter, a neutralization tank and a dosing station.

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A zero liquid discharge system (ZLD) will be installed as well. STF says the system offers complete circular wastewater recycling with 100 percent of the water recirculating back into the wash line after filtering out impurities. According to STF, no wastewater will be discharged into the sewer system.

Installation of the line will begin in the second quarter of 2024.

In addition of the STF equipment, Malama One is installing a Starlinger extruder, a Viscotec SSP system and SACMI preform technology.