Starlinger Installs First Food-Grade Plastics Recycling Facility at Srichakra Polyplast in India
The well-established Indian recycler commissioned a PET bottle-to-bottle and a post-consumer polyolefin recycling line from Starlinger by mid of September. With the new lines Srichakra Polyplast upgraded its facilities and now offers the highest grades of recycled plastics to customers in India and international markets such as Europe and the United States.
The Starlinger PET bottle-to-bottle recycling line at Srichakra’s production facilities in Hyderabad produces rPET for food-grade applications (Photo: Starlinger)
Srichakra Polyplast, a leading plastic recycling and waste management company based in in Hyderabad, invested US$10 million (€8.6 million) for upgrading and expanding its plastics recycling capabilities. The new recoSTAR PET 165 iV+ is the first of its kind Starlinger has installed in India. It features US FDA-approved technology for processing post-consumer PET bottle flakes. The produced rPET pellets are suitable for food-contact and can be used for food and beverage packaging like bottles for water and carbonated soft drinks, food trays, etc. With this technology upgrade Srichakra is now able to provide premium food-grade quality rPET for food packaging to the Indian and international markets.
Special odour reduction technology
For the processing of post-consumer polyolefin packaging Srichakra uses a Starlinger recoSTAR dynamic 165 C-VAC recycling line with Starlinger’s unique odour reduction technology. If, for example, packaging made of polyolefins such as PP or HDPE has been used for food, cosmetics or cleaners, substances from these products can migrate into the plastic and cause an unpleasant smell after the recycling process. Starlinger’s three-step odour reduction procedure – consisting of material preparation, highly efficient degassing, and post-treatment in the smell extraction unit of the pellets – eliminates even deeply embedded smells so that the recycled pellets are suitable for use also in demanding applications.
The Starlinger polyolefin recycling line produces up to 1300 kg of high-quality odour-free recycled pellets per hour that can be directly converted into home and personal care product packaging such as bottles for lotions, shampoo or detergents.
New life for local plastic scrap
“Our approach at Srichakra is focused on using leading-edge technology to create reliable, high-quality materials that help brand-owners reduce their use of virgin plastic”, said Ravindra Venkata, CEO and Co-founder of Srichakra Polyplast. “The new world-class technology not only enables us to produce food-grade quality recycled plastic for customers, but also gives locally-sourced plastics a new life, preventing it from entering the environment. We’re proud to be the first in India to achieve this standard and continue our work towards making the world a better place by cleaning up the environment.”
Elevating plastics recycling standards in India
According to the UN Plastic Waste Management Programme India, only one fourth of the country’s plastic waste is currently recycled. The recycled materials themselves are generally not high quality, which results in low levels of re-usage. With the newly installed equipment Srichakra produces high-quality recycled plastics that can be used to substitute virgin resin. This way, the company significantly contributes to the development of a sustainable plastic waste management model in India.
The recoSTAR dynamic 165 C-VAC with odour reduction technology efficiently removes unpleasant smells caused by migrated substances (Photo: Starlinger)
„Srichakra Polyplast is a pioneer of the circular economy in India, and we are proud to be their technology suppliers”, said Paul Niedl, Commercial Head of Starlinger recycling technology. “With the new Starlinger PET bottle-to-bottle recycling line with SSP treatment they have expanded their scope of products now into the important field of food-grade rPET. They are also the first recycler in India to use Starlinger odour reduction technology for the processing of post-consumer polyolefin waste. With their high-quality products Srichakra Polyplast is going to set new standards for the Indian plastics recycling industry.”
About Srichakra Polyplast
Founded in 2010, Srichakra Polyplast (India) Pvt Ltd is a leading plastics recycling and waste management company based in Hyderabad, India. The company produces premium PET and polyolefin flakes and regranulate from plastic waste and specialises in offering high-quality recycled products in large volumes for the packaging industry. To help brand owners reduce virgin plastic use, Srichakra is constantly striving to improve, resulting in the development of its technically advanced bottle-to-bottle solutions and food-grade recycled pellets. For ten years, Srichakra has championed the transformation of locally sourced plastic waste and strives to divert plastic from the ocean and encourage the advancement of the circular economy.
Source: Starlinger Recycling Technology (Austria, October 05, 2021)
