Recyclability Evaluation

What Is Recyclability Evaluation?

Recyclability evaluation is a comprehensive assessment to determine if and how efficiently materials can be recycled. It involves meticulous Material Identification & Characterisation to understand a material's chemical and physical properties using techniques like Pyro-GC-MS, Infrared Spectroscopy, and MEB-EDS analysis for identifying polymers, impurities, additives, and contaminants.

This crucial initial analysis informs subsequent processing support, including laboratory-scale preparation, formulation development for recycled content, defining process parameters, and rigorous performance testing and validation to optimise recycling processes and ensure final product quality.

What Materials Do We Evaluate?

We evaluate a range of materials, with a primary focus on:

• Plastic Packaging
  • Polystyrene (PS)
  • Polyethylene (PE)
  • Polypropylene (PP)
  • Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
  • Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)
• Polymeric Materials
• Plastics

Our Comprehensive Recyclability Testing Services

Applus+ Laboratories offers a specialised suite of recyclability evaluation services. We focus on providing actionable insights and practical solutions, from initial concept through to processing, to support your sustainability goals. Our evaluations are categorised into two main areas:

Innovation Studies

Our Innovation Studies are designed to explore and enhance the potential of recycled materials, pushing the boundaries of what is achievable in material circularity. This includes:

• Material Preparation: This foundational step involves not just basic sorting, but optimising sorting techniques to achieve higher purity streams, refining milling and size reduction processes for specific material types to improve handling and processing efficiency, and implementing robust quality control measures from the very outset to ensure consistency and reliability of the feedstock.
• Process Development: We specialise in crafting custom formulations that can innovatively incorporate a wide range of recycled content, from 0% up to 100%, depending on application requirements. This involves optimising processing parameters (like temperature, pressure, and speed) for maximum efficiency and output quality, and developing novel strategies for performance enhancement of the recycled materials, potentially through additives or co-polymerisation, to meet or exceed the properties of virgin materials.

Processing Operations

We provide hands-on Processing Operations support to test, validate, and refine recycling processes at a practical, scalable level. This ensures that theoretical advancements translate into real-world manufacturing viability. This encompasses:

• Extrusion Processing: We utilise versatile twin-screw extrusion (with a capacity of up to 1kg/hour) for complex compounding and creating tailored material blends. Single-screw extrusion is also employed for more straightforward material processing and allow for the obtention of films, sheet or pellet, pelletising operations to produce consistent feedstock for further manufacturing, and direct film production for certain applications.
• Moulding Operations: Our capabilities include compression moulding for creating thin films (precisely controlled to around 100µm thickness), ideal for testing material properties or creating layered structures. We also offer injection moulding to produce standardised test specimens (up to 15cm³ in volume) for mechanical and physical property analysis, directly supporting product development iterations and ensuring quality control integration at every stage of the moulding process.

Our Recyclability Evaluation Process: Step-by-Step

Our recyclability evaluations are conducted through a systematic and detailed process to ensure comprehensive analysis and actionable results:

• Initial Assessment: We begin with a thorough characterisation of the material, analyse the specific process requirements, review quality specifications, and conduct a technical feasibility evaluation.
• Development Phase: This involves the optimisation of processing parameters based on the initial assessment, conducting trial processing runs, verifying the quality of the output, and validating its performance against set criteria.
• Pre-Processing Capabilities: We employ laboratory-scale sorting, multi-stage milling systems, heavy particle separation, cutting mill processing, and rotor mill processing to prepare materials effectively.
• Advanced Processing Technologies: Our facilities are equipped for twin-screw extrusion for formulation development (0-100% recycled content) and additive incorporation, film processing via hot compression moulding and single-screw extrusion (film thickness 100µm to 1.5mm), and laboratory injection moulding for specimen preparation and degradation assessment.
• Quality Standards Adherence: Select processes are covered by ISO 9001 certification. Comprehensive quality control, performance validation, and process optimisation are integral to all our evaluations.

Benefits: Prove Recyclability, Improve Design, Meet Regulations

Engaging in a thorough recyclability evaluation offers significant advantages for your products and processes:

• Expert Technical Support: Gain access to our expert guidance for process optimisation and effective problem-solving.
• Assured Quality: Benefit from comprehensive testing, performance validation of your recycled materials, and detailed documentation support.
• Support for Innovation & Development: We assist in new product development using recycled content, drive process improvements, facilitate technical optimisation, and enhance material performance.
• Optimised Resource Utilisation: Understand how to best process materials to maximise yield and quality, reducing waste and improving cost-effectiveness.
• Enhanced Sustainability Credentials: Demonstrate a commitment to circular economy principles by validating the recyclability of your products.

Why Choose Applus+ Laboratories for Our Recyclability Evaluation Services?

Choose Applus+ Laboratories as your trusted partner for comprehensive recyclability evaluation. We empower your journey towards greater sustainability and circularity through:

• Integrated Expertise: Combining advanced analytical capabilities (like Pyro-GC-MS, MEB-EDS) with practical processing knowledge (including twin-screw extrusion up to 1kg/hour, compression and injection moulding) to offer a complete service spectrum, from initial material characterisation to final product development support.
• Dedicated Support: Providing expert guidance and proactive problem-solving to help you optimise recycling processes and ensure the superior quality of your recycled materials.
• Commitment to Innovation: Offering custom formulation development and pioneering strategies for performance enhancement of recycled materials.
• Assured Standards: Adhering to high-quality benchmarks, including ISO 9001 certification for select processes, complemented by comprehensive quality control measures.
• Partnership for Growth: Supporting your new product development, process improvement initiatives, and overall sustainability objectives to ensure your recycled materials meet demanding market criteria.