Recyclers and plastic converters are facing quality and performance issues when processing recycled polymeric material, BASF said. Its new range of additives, called IngraCycle, will improve the quality of these recycled plastics by decreasing the level of impurities and contaminants they contain.
The plastics industry is seeking ways to incorporate higher content of recycled polymeric material in all major applications, the company said, to meet sustainability goals while facing growing consumer concerns and stricter regulatory requirements to reduce plastic waste. But it said mitigating the quality deficiencies that arise from thermal and mechanical stress during the recycling process remained a challenge.
The production of plastics from mechanical recycling is expected to almost triple by 2030, driven by improved technologies and regulation,” said the president of BASF’s performance chemicals division, Dr Thomas Kloster. He explained that this will mean growth of 10% per year compared to current levels.