Emmen-based CuRe Technology is developing a technology to reuse polyester that is difficult to recycle.
Polyester is one of the most widely used plastics. The material is in a variety of products, from plastic packaging to clothing. "Every year, 80 to 100 billion kilograms of it are made worldwide. Only 9% of this is recycled. That is a mortal sin, because there are certainly opportunities," states Josse Kunst, chief commercial officer (cco) of CuRe Technology.
Plastics - also called polymers - is a chain of molecules that eventually come together to form a material. "You can think of it as Lego blocks. Together they form a product. The advantage is that you can easily take the polyester lego blocks out and clean them. Then you can make something new out of them again," explains Kunst.
In traditional mechanical recycling, transparent polyester is melted into a peanut butter-like mass, cleaned and then used again for new products.
Effective and energy efficient
But 83% of polyester is contaminated, such as because it is mixed with other materials or dye. "You can then take it completely apart into one Lego brick, one molecule. Only that takes an awful lot of energy," outlines Kunst.
Together with his team, he made an important discovery. "We can also recycle polyester if we only break it down 80% - that is, until only a few Lego bricks are left together. Then it is also possible to clean it well enough to use it again in a new product. This process takes only 20% of the energy needed to completely break down polyester," he explains. This makes CuRe's technology the most inexpensive and sustainable method of recycling polyester, according to Kunst.
Pilotplant
CuRe Technology has set up a pilot plant in Emmen to test the new technology. The entrepreneurs behind CuRe Technology also already have a plant in Emmen to recycle transparent PET bottles. "So we already had buildings, infrastructure, knowledge and a good relationship with the municipality and province," he says. The latter is very important, the cco observes. "Drenthe feels like a warm bath, we are well supported and people are willing to help each other. Those connections are incredibly valuable if you are going to start with new technology as an entrepreneur. It makes for a flying start."
Scaling up
The company is entering an exciting time. "We are now at the nodal point to take the step to the first commercial plant," says Kunst. The entrepreneurs are now working on final testing at the pilot plant, arranging permits and holding talks with the government and NOM. "We are laying the final pieces of our puzzle and hope to make a decision on scaling up early this year."
Recycling different plastics
CuRe Technology is initially focusing on plastic packaging. "This is already well collected, which makes it easier to get input for the plant. In addition, we are already working - because of the existing recycling plant - with Coca-Cola, a large party. With this, we also already have a buyer for the recycled plastic," says Kunst.
Moreover, there are already rules in Europe for the use of recycled plastic. By 2025, 25% of new packaging must be made of recycled plastic; by 2030 it will be 30%. In the future, the company also wants to look at recycling textiles, for example. "Not so much is laid down in law about this at the moment, but the European Union is working hard on this. For example, the collection of textiles will become mandatory from 2025. But then a lot of research is still needed into sorting techniques, for example, before we can really deploy large-scale recycling."
Ultimately, CuRe Technology wants to make polyester fully circular. Art: "And that in a responsible, cheap and environmentally friendly way. This is how we ultimately hope to change the way we deal with plastic in the world."