A once traditional coal storage facility transforms into an eco-friendly plastic processing plant.
Reviving Industrial Sites Through Sustainable Plastic Recycling
In 2014, Umweltdienste Kedenburg took over a packaging waste sorting plant on a former cement works site in Beckum. Ten years later, Beckum Kunststoff Recycling GmbH, in partnership with Otto Graf GmbH, constructed a second plant at this location, once home to coal storage for cement production. Now, this transformed site produces sustainable recycled plastic, demonstrating the power of the circular economy in revitalizing historical industrial sites. Klaus Kuhlenbeck, the Technical Director of the facility, describes the project as an investment in the circular economy: "Our aim is clear: to sort and process plastic films to a level that allows us to create new products from them."
Transitioning Waste into Quality Products
The outcome is a cutting-edge sorting facility designed to process plastic films from mixed post-consumer packaging. Approximately two-thirds of the input is polypropylene (PP) film, with the remaining third consisting of polyethylene (PE) and a mix of polyolefins (PO), primarily from pre-sorted material from post-consumer packaging facilities across Europe — from Austria to Norway.
Success Relies on Precision Technology
At the plant's core are two STEINERT UniSort Film EVO 5.0 machines, which employ a specialized airflow system, synchronized with the belt speed for optimal performance. As Kuhlenbeck explains, "We were particularly impressed with the directional and stabilized airflow. This ensures that even lightweight and flexible films remain firmly on the conveyor belt. The airflow works right into the discharge hood, causing the material to barely swirl at all after shooting out. The UniSort Film is the most fully developed solution currently available on the market for our requirements."
The precise flow of material facilitates a belt speed of 4.5 m/s, crucial for high throughput and cost-effective sorting, especially with tricky 2D materials. With plastic films, they are thereby prevented from overlapping or twisting, enabling the combination of sensors from the near-infrared sensor (NIR) and color camera to function accurately. This precision in data capture is required to reliably maintain a 98 percent purity rate from PP film.
Quality Recycled Plastic Becomes a Secondary Raw Material
Further processing steps, including the agglomeration of the films and the shredding of hard plastics into flakes, follow. These intermediate products are then run through the STEINERT MOH magnet combination separator with EddyC FINES to eliminate tiny ferrous and non-ferrous particles. The plastic agglomerate then moves directly to GRAF for manufacturing durable products for rainwater utilization. Consumers benefit from products that are not just sustainable but also show the same quality as new ones, without compromises.
Prepared for Future Challenges
Kuhlenbeck underscores the importance of future-proofing the investment: "We have intentionally designed our facility to be flexible enough to adapt to changing requirements. We are aware that packaging materials are constantly evolving. With the NIR and color sensor combination, we can respond to future trends."
Kuhlenbeck believes fervently that: "A facility is never really complete. We are continually encountering new challenges, such as composite materials that are difficult to sort or aluminized films, which can impact the final product if not detected and removed." This is why he emphasizes the importance of dialogue along the value-added chain: "For decades, companies worked alone. Only now are we truly starting to communicate. Together, we are improving recycling, creating better packaging, and driving the circular economy forward."
Building Confidence through Tests - the Goal of Sustainability
The collaboration with STEINERT commenced in the company's Test Center at its headquarters near Cologne, where the groundwork for this successful project was laid in 2023. "From the beginning, the STEINERT machines have performed exactly as promised. I've rarely experienced anything like it. This is the kind of reliability we need for our vision of sustainable plastic recycling," says Kuhlenbeck in summary. Due to the new facility in Beckum, the site of a former CO2 emitter is becoming a pioneer in sustainability. With every kilogram of plastic re-entering the cycle, Beckum Kunststoffrecycling GmbH is actively contributing to climate protection, CO2 savings, and resource preservation.
For a World of Infinite Resources
The partnership between Beckum Kunststoff Recycling GmbH and Otto Graf GmbH is an investment in the circular economy, aiming to create new products from recycled plastic films in the realm of environmental science. Consumers can enjoy products made from quality recycled plastic, sourced from post-consumer packaging facilities across Europe, and showcasing the same quality as new ones in the home-and-garden and lifestyle sectors, promoting sustainable living.
Building confidence through rigorous testing, the collaboration between Beckum Kunststoff Recycling GmbH and STEINERT involves the use of precision technology such as airflow systems, NIR sensors, and color cameras, ensuring a high purity rate and efficient sorting process. This commitment to advanced recycling practices is essential for climate protection, CO2 savings, and resource preservation, paving the way for a more sustainable future.
