HomeKnowledge HubPrinting & PlasticsTurning Trash Into Treasure

Turning Trash Into Treasure

Using waste to make raw materials is not a new idea. Even with plastics. So now it’s time for action, by reducing, reusing, and recycling (3Rs). This starts with us in industry. Let’s join forces and design products and processes with the 3Rs in mind. How? Read on…

Turning Trash into Treasure

THE PLASTIC FOIL LIFE CYCLE

The Green Deal in Europe, the Green New Deal in the United States, and other initiatives in countries like India, Japan, and China are motivating more and more companies and consumers to think about recycling products, many of which they would never have imagined returning to material workflows.

The digital product pass (DPP) and laser-marking technology could therefore never have come at a better time. As the R-Cycle initiative has shown, laser marking plastics offers an environmentally friendly and reliable way for companies to identify and recycle materials, without negative impact on quality and efficiency.

JOINING FORCES

Six companies that are integral to plastic packaging processing have joined forces to advance R-Cycle within a circular economy pilot project. They have made it their task to rethink packaging production and to make the material flow controllable and transparent. Each company is a global leader in its field: Sabic for polymers, Avient for masterbatch, Reifenhäuser for machinery, König & Bauer for laser systems, and Merck for laser sensitive pigments

CLOSING THE PLASTICS LOOP TOGETHERWe've worked with six key industry players to pool know-how and resources – to quickly make a difference. By investing in an ingenious underlying concept of recycling, not only are we empowering others to operate more sustainably, we're also offering practical and straightforward ways to improve long-term performance.
RETHINKING PLASTIC RECYCLINGStopping plastic landing in trash is one thing. Ensuring it really does enter recycling is another. One priority here is not compromising on material properties and quality when plastics re-enter the loop. We've found ways to safeguard the performance of plastic waste so that even after recycling, it is just as valuable to industry and end customers as the first time it was processed and used.
IMPROVING QUALITY THROUGH TEAMWORKEnsuring plastic re-cycling works properly not only means understanding how plastics are made and used, but also who does what with them afterwards. Each individual stakeholder plays a key role in designing, processing, producing, using, and recovering materials such that each link in the chain dovetails neatly with the others. With R-Cycle, close collaboration and communication ensures the quality of recyclates continues to match requirements. Plastics can be reused and recycled time after time
SIMPLIFYING RECYCLING IN THE LONG-TERMIf nature produces no trash, why should we? Therefore the R-Cycle partners have worked out the most effective way to recycle plastics. And laser marking even makes de-inking or label removing unnecessary, which further improves the recycling quality. Laser marked plastics remains of the same high quality material as in the first cycle, for both flexible and rigid packaging. We take the complexity and resource-intensity out of plastics recycling.
THE HIDDEN MAGIC OF LASERSThe secret of success with these R-Cycle models was laser marking, a key difference that is central to safeguarding the purity of recyclats. The project partners decided that the R-Cycle process should be tried and tested on a product as simple as a heavy-duty bag and a white PE bottle. The result: Even after multiple rounds of use, recycled laser marked polymers are significantly purer in terms of color and texture than printed versions.
CLOSING THE PLASTICS LOOP TOGETHERWe’ve worked with six key industry players to pool know-how and resources – to quickly make a difference. By investing in an ingenious underlying concept of recycling, not only are we empowering others to operate more sustainably, we’re also offering practical and straightforward ways to improve long-term performance.

1 of 6

DISCOVER MORE AROUND SUSTAINABILITY & PRINTING-PLASTICS

Pixel Art
Pixel art is unique – hundreds of building blocks, each made up of individual pixels. The first pixel art images were created by the Xerox Research Center in 1982. It still fuels creativity to this day. Let’s discover our packaging color forecast now.
Endless Possibilities
In a world where packaging transcends mere function to become an art form, the Unbox a World of Endless Possibilities campaign invites you to explore captivating inspirations for luxury packaging. The demo tool features five elegant bottles, each representing a unique blend of color and functionality.
Food Contact Safe!
For us, product safety is of utmost priority. With the Food Contact Notification (FCN) we have obtained regulatory clearance from the United States Food and Drug Administration for the majority of our industrial and laser marking pigments in plastic applications.
Innovation in Packaging
Did you know that a shampoo bottle, amongst other products, can have all important information yet be label-free? Laser marking offers a sustainable solution for packaging, replacing traditional labels with non-toxic, non-contact marking that reduces material waste and environmental impact.
Laser Marking on Silicones
Marking on silicone elastomers can be challenging. Extremely. But thanks to laser marking, even the most challenging of polymers – such as silicone cables or medical tubing – can be marked accurately and easily.
Our Sustainability Culture
Sustainability lies at the heart of our decision-making processes, shaping both our strategy and our culture. We embrace sustainability as a shared mission, collaborating across departments to integrate responsible practices into the very fabric of our business.
Harmonization & Verification
Global harmonization of CO2e calculation and reporting standards, combined with independant verification methods that are trustworthy and acceptable for all stakeholders, are prerequisites for sound environmental progress and a positive sustainability culture in our industries. Harmonized standards strengthen the comparability, consistency and decision usefulness of climate-related disclosures around the world.
Partnerships for Success
We understand that we cannot enact meaningful change on our own. That's why we work closely with partners across our value chain to drive collective action at scale.
Working Together Works Better
We truly believe in the power of cooperation, that supporting sustainable progress throughout our industries works better when we do it together. We're therefore actively scouting for initiatives and organizations that promote new standards and we love joining from the start as co-founders, like we‘ve been with some of these organizations.
Tracking Emissions
At SUSONITY, we are committed to climate protection. We are focused on reducing our environmental impact, pushing best practice in line with industry standards, and communicating responsibly and transparently about our performance and our ambitions.
Environmental
Because it's up to all of us to halt the tide of climate change and protect the environment, we are cutting down our emissions, reducing our energy consumption and manage natural resources responsibly. We have formulated several goals, defined clear measures and plans to achieve them and we report regularly on our progress.
SDG
At SUSONITY, we recognize the critical importance of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a universal framework for addressing the world's most pressing challenges. By aligning our sustainability initiatives with these goals, we not only contribute to global efforts for a more sustainable future but also enhance our own operational practices and stakeholder relationships.