Suntory develops FtoP direct recycle technology for soft drink PET bottle preform production
By Canadian Packaging staff
General Bottles Plastic EREMA Group GmbH FtoP Direct Recycle Technology Kyoei Industry Co. Ltd SIPA SpA Suntory Beverage & Food Limited Suntory Holdings LimitedScheduled for use in soft drink PET bottles from summer 2018 onward, Suntory says it will reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 25 percent.
Japan’s Suntory Holdings Limited has developed FtoP Direct Recycle Technology for use in soft drink PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) bottle preform production, as part of a joint effort with Kyoei Industry Co., Ltd. of Japan, SIPA SpA of Italy and EREMA Group GmbH of Austria.
Going forward, bottle preforms using this technology will be manufactured at Kyoei Industry Co., Ltd and gradually introduced for part of Suntory Beverage & Food Limited‘s PET bottle products from the summer of 2018 onward.
FtoP Direct Recycle Technology
FtoP is a technology in which flake created by pulverizing and washing recovered PET bottles is treated at high temperature and low pressure for a fixed period and that, after being melted and filtered, enables the preform to be manufactured directly.
In order to form preforms of uniform quality, it is important to pour the melted flake into the molding machine at a constant pressure, and the development of this technology involved putting up actual facilities and verification over a protracted period of time.
In comparison to the previous setup, which required a large number of processes leading up to the manufacture of the preform, such as crystallization and drying, it is estimated that reductions in CO2 emissions of approximately 25 percent will be possible.
Background of development
Suntory Holdings Limited and Kyoei Industry Co. have a track record in promoting activities to reduce the environmental impact of PET bottle manufacturing, such as by developing Japan’s first bottle-to-bottle mechanical recycling system in 2011.
On this occasion, with the aim of achieving further reductions in the environmental burden, the two companies entered into a successful joint initiative with two overseas equipment manufacturers—SIPA and EREMA to develop the FtoP Direct Recycle Technology.
About Kyoei Industry Co., Ltd.
Headquartered in Oyama-shi (Oyama City), Tochigi-ken (Tochigi Prefecture), Kyoei is a rRecycled materials manufacturer, involved in the recycling, processing and sale of synthetic resins. It has been involved in the recycling of PET bottles since 1986, and the corporate group of which it centers manufactures a total of 80,000 tons of recycled PET resin annually.
About SIPA SpA
Headquartered in Italy, SIPA is a manufacturer of beverage filling equipment such as preform bottle molding machinery and fillers. In 2013 the company developed the “XTREME” rotary injection-compression molding system, and introduced the first machine of the series at Suntory Products Limited’s Haruna Plant.
About EREMA
Headquartered in Austria, EREMA is a manufacturer of equipment such as plastic recycling machinery, etc. It developed “VACUREMA”, a dedicated PET bottle recycling system in 1996, and has shipped more than 200 units globally since its launch.
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