Innovators in Plastic Recycling Take the Stage PET Bottles

German engineering leaders Coperion and Herbold Meckesheim are set to make a major impact at the upcoming K 2025 Trade Fair, the world’s leading plastics and rubber exhibition. From October 8–15 in Düsseldorf, the companies will unveil their latest plastic recycling technologies designed to boost sustainability, efficiency, and material quality.

Their collaborative showcase will spotlight integrated solutions across mechanical and chemical recycling, compounding, feeding, filtration, and odor removal — all engineered to meet the growing global demand for circular plastics.

Hall 9: Herbold Mechanical Processing Solutions

At Booth 9B34 in Hall 9, visitors will find key components of Herbold’s mechanical plastic recycling lineup, including:

• New T 150-300 Mechanical Dryer: Built for energy-efficient drying of shredded plastics. PET Bottles
• SMS 80-200 Granulator: Delivers high-throughput granulation with consistent particle size.

These machines demonstrate Herbold’s continued focus on high-performance recycling systems tailored for post-consumer and post-industrial plastic waste.

Pavilion FG/CE07: Full-System Integration in Action

For an immersive look at how Coperion and Herbold technologies work together, head to the open-air Pavilion FG/CE07. Here, attendees can observe the entire recycling process in motion — from raw input to finished pellet. PET Bottles

Key technologies on display will include:

• ZSK FilCo Filtration Compounder
• ZS-B Megafeed Side Feeder
• K-Tron K3-V200 Vibratory Feeder
• S60 Single-Screw Feeder
• MechaTron Flat Bottom Feeder
• Mobile Deodorization Unit

One-Step Filtration and Compounding with ZSK FilCo

The ZSK FilCo is a breakthrough in sustainable plastic processing. Unlike traditional two-step lines that filter and then compound separately, the ZSK FilCo performs both tasks in one streamlined process. PET Bottles

The result? Reduced energy consumption, improved material quality, and a more compact footprint — ideal for operations handling highly contaminated post-consumer waste.

Regrind, film flakes, agglomerates, and fibers are directly fed into a ZSK twin-screw extruder, where they are melted, homogenized, and devolatilized. A filtration stage removes impurities before additives are introduced and the compound is pelletized — all within one continuous line.

Feeding Light, Fluffy Recyclables with the ZS-B Megafeed PET Bottles

One common challenge in recycling is feeding materials with low bulk density. The ZS-B Megafeed Side Feeder solves this by enabling the processing of materials as light as 20 kg/m³ — such as fiber or PET film flakes — without pre-compaction.

This innovation minimizes the need for energy-intensive pelletizing or densification, cutting costs while boosting throughput and process stability.

Smart Feeding for Flakes, Films, and Fibers

At the core of consistent extrusion performance is precise material feeding. Coperion will demonstrate a suite of feeders optimized for recycling:

• K-Tron K3-V200 Vibratory Feeder: Ideal for lightweight flakes and ensuring gravimetric accuracy. PET Bottles
• MechaTron FB Feeder: Specially designed for feeding voluminous, hard-to-flow materials like PP and PET films.
• S60 Single-Screw Feeder: Ensures continuous delivery of granulated or pelletized recyclables.

These feeders are critical in preventing surges or dropouts, ensuring a consistent melt and superior final product quality.

Odor Removal for Higher-Quality Recycled Plastics PET Bottles

One major barrier to using recycled plastics in consumer products is odor. Coperion addresses this with its mobile deodorization unit — a modular system that reliably strips unwanted smells from recyclates, making them viable for higher-value applications.

3D Simulation: Visualizing the Entire Recycling Ecosystem

K 2025 attendees will also experience a fully interactive 3D simulation showing how Coperion and Herbold technologies function together in a complete plant setting.

This visualization offers deep insights into the interconnectivity of extrusion, feeding, filtration, granulation, drying, and odor control — helping engineers and plant managers optimize their entire workflow from input to output. PET Bottles

Hall 14: Spotlight on Plastic Compounding Innovation

Coperion’s expertise doesn’t end with recycling. In Hall 14, Booth 14B19, the company will also present advancements in plastic compounding — including the latest extruders, side feeders, and control systems for high-performance materials manufacturing.

Key Takeaways for Processors and Brands

• One-step filtration and compounding = energy savings and higher purity
• Advanced feeders reduce pre-treatment steps PET Bottles
• Odor removal expands recycled plastic use cases
• Integrated system design streamlines production

For recyclers, compounders, and OEMs looking to meet sustainability goals without sacrificing performance, Coperion and Herbold’s solutions at K 2025 are a must-see.

Tackling the Global Plastic Waste Crisis with Smarter, Greener Solutions

Plastic waste is one of the most urgent environmental challenges today. While PET (polyethylene terephthalate) is technically recyclable, most systems fall short — especially for blended materials like PET/cotton or PET/polyurethane (PU).

A team of researchers has now engineered a high-performance enzyme that efficiently breaks down PET under moderate temperatures. This innovation brings us closer to scalable, sustainable plastic recycling. PET Bottles

Key Takeaways

• PET2-21M: Breaks down bottle-grade PET at 60 °C with remarkable efficiency.
• PET2-14M-6Hot: Excels at degrading blended fibers (PET/cotton, PET/PU).
• Enzymes operate at moderate temperatures — saving energy and reducing emissions.
• Scalable production using yeast ensures industrial readiness.

The Team Behind the Innovation

This breakthrough comes from a collaboration among leading institutions:

• Professor Akihiko Nakamura – Shizuoka University
• Takashi Matsuzaki & Toshiyuki Saeki – Kirin Holdings Co., Ltd.
• Professor Ryota Iino – Institute for Molecular Science
• Professor Nobuyasu Koga – Osaka University PET Bottles

Why PET Recycling Needs Reinvention

PET dominates the global synthetic fiber market, but recycling it is difficult:

• Mechanical recycling degrades quality and struggles with blends.
• Chemical recycling requires high energy and harsh reagents.

Enzymatic recycling offers a cleaner path — breaking down PET into its original monomers using water-based reactions and moderate heat.

How PET2-21M and PET2-14M-6Hot Were Engineered

The team enhanced an earlier enzyme (PET2-7M) through:

1. Random and targeted mutagenesis. PET Bottles
2. Seven new mutations leading to PET2-14M.
3. Substrate-binding improvements using HotPETase as a template.
4. Surface charge enhancements for better PET affinity.
5. Final optimization, creating PET2-21M.

Both PET2-14M-6Hot and PET2-21M were successfully expressed in Komagataella phaffii, yielding up to 691 mg/L — an efficient and scalable result.

PET Bottle Recycling Performance

At 60 °C, PET2-21M achieved:

• 95% degradation of bottle-grade PET in 24 hours.
• 28.6× more efficient than the wild-type PET2 enzyme. PET Bottles
• Outperformed LCC-ICCG, which requires 72 °C for similar results.

Even with enzyme levels cut in half, PET2-21M maintained a 50% breakdown rate — nearly double that of LCC-ICCG under the same conditions.

High-Load PET Recycling

Under higher PET concentrations (40 g/L):

• At 10 mg/L enzyme: PET2-21M reached 79% degradation at 60 °C.
• At 5 mg/L enzyme: PET2-21M still achieved 44% — outperforming LCC-ICCG’s 29% at 72 °C.

This efficiency at lower temperatures and enzyme doses highlights PET2-21M’s industrial value.  PET Bottles

Blended Fiber Recycling: PET/Cotton & PET/PU

PET/Cotton Blends

At 60 °C, PET2-14M-6Hot achieved:

• 62.8 mM degradation from PET/cotton (65/35 wt%).
• Outperformed LCC-ICCG’s 46.7 mM output.
• Minimal interference from cotton fibers.

PET/PU Blends

At 50 °C (under PU’s Tg):

• PET2-14M-6Hot produced 19.2 mM breakdown products.
• LCC-ICCG achieved just 8.2 mM under identical conditions.

This positions PET2-14M-6Hot as a promising enzyme for recycling even the most stubborn textile blends.  PET Bottles

Implications for the Circular Plastics Economy

The engineered PET2 enzymes offer a credible path to true circularity by:

• Recovering high-purity monomers from PET waste.
• Operating under energy-saving conditions.
• Handling complex textile blends often excluded from current systems.

This could significantly reduce reliance on virgin plastic, especially in industries like packaging and fashion.

What’s Next?

The team aims to:

• Optimize enzyme activity at even lower temperatures.
• Improve breakdown of mixed synthetic-natural fiber fabrics.
• Scale up trials for industrial applications. PET Bottles

Research Citation

Title: Development and Production of Moderate-Thermophilic PET Hydrolase for PET Bottle and Fiber Recycling

Journal: ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering

DOI: 10.1021/acssuschemeng.5c01602

Authors: Takashi Matsuzaki, Toshiyuki Saeki, Fuhito Yamazaki, Natsuka Koyama, Tatsunori Okubo, Daiki Hombe, Yui Ogura, Yoshihito Hashino, Rie Tatsumi-Koga, Nobuyasu Koga, Ryota Iino, Akihiko Nakamura PET Bottles

EFSA Grants Approval for Food-Contact Safe Recycled PET

In a significant milestone for the circular economy and food-grade recycling in Europe, Germany-based Kreyenborg has received a positive Scientific Opinion from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for its IR-Clean technology. The approval is part of the EU’s updated regulation on recycled plastics for food contact, EU 2022/1616.

This recognition paves the way for Kreyenborg’s infrared-based PET decontamination process to be used in the production of packaging that safely contacts food—even up to 100% recycled content. PET Bottles

What Is IR-Clean and Why It Matters

IR-Clean is a proprietary infrared technology designed to decontaminate post-consumer PET flakes to a purity level suitable for direct food contact. This process not only meets strict safety standards but also contributes to reducing plastic waste and dependency on virgin fossil-based plastic.

With EFSA’s endorsement, Kreyenborg’s technology becomes a key enabler for closed-loop PET recycling systems in Europe—where used PET can be safely turned back into new food packaging, closing the material loop. PET Bottles

Recycling Authorization Number (RAN) & Public Register Listing

Under EU Regulation 2022/1616, Kreyenborg’s IR-Clean process will be assigned a unique Recycling Authorization Number (RAN). This official number ensures full traceability and allows the technology to be listed in a public register, which is used by regulators, manufacturers, and packaging companies across the EU.

Kreyenborg notes that while previous IR-Clean systems were positively assessed under the older EC 282/2008 regulation, the new process benefits from streamlined approval procedures and more transparent compliance pathways for clients and supply chain partners. PET Bottles

EFSA’s Evaluation: What the Science Says

EFSA’s positive Scientific Opinion was based on rigorous data submitted through a challenge test. This evaluation simulated extreme contamination conditions and assessed the ability of the IR-Clean system to eliminate potential chemical hazards from the recycled PET.

The panel found that the decontaminated PET is safe for direct food contact in all types of packaging used for food stored at room temperature or below. Importantly, this applies even when the packaging contains 100% recycled PET—a major step forward in food safety and sustainability. PET Bottles

The source PET must consist of washed and dried post-consumer flakes that originated from food-grade packaging. A tolerance of up to 5% from non-food applications is permitted, provided the process runs under the strict conditions validated during EFSA’s test.

Two Critical Steps in the IR-Clean Process

The IR-Clean system involves a two-step thermal treatment process that is critical to ensuring decontamination:

1. Infrared Dryer (IRD): This step uses high-intensity infrared radiation to rapidly heat and decontaminate the PET flakes. PET Bottles
2. Finisher Unit: In this stage, thermal treatment is optimized to remove any remaining volatile contaminants, ensuring complete decontamination and material safety.

According to Marcus Vogt, Kreyenborg’s Technical Sales Manager for Plastics, “These two steps were crucial to meeting EFSA’s strict decontamination standards. The extensive testing took years and involved countless process refinements.”

A Six-Year Approval Journey

The EFSA approval didn’t happen overnight. Marcus Vogt initiated the petition and accompanied the process for over six years. PET Bottles

The system had to meet not only EU standards but also align with U.S. FDA regulations for recycled food contact materials.

“The challenge test was the culmination of extensive collaboration, technical calibration, and documentation,” Vogt explains. “Now that we’ve reached this milestone, it validates years of innovation in infrared-based plastic recycling.”

What This Means for the Packaging Industry PET Bottles

With EFSA’s green light, companies using Kreyenborg’s IR-Clean technology can produce food-safe, recycled PET packaging that aligns with both regulatory and consumer expectations. This opens opportunities for:

• Food and beverage brands looking to increase recycled content
• Packaging manufacturers aiming to comply with EU sustainability mandates
• Retailers committing to circular economy goals

The approval streamlines certification under the EU Single-Use Plastics Directive and other regional mandates focused on sustainable packaging. PET Bottles

Performance Meets Safety: Technical Reliability

Beyond regulatory compliance, IR-Clean offers operational advantages:

• **Fast heat-up time** with lower energy usage than conventional systems
• **Compact system design** suitable for integration into existing plants
• **Consistent decontamination performance** even with variable input quality

These features make it a scalable and adaptable solution for companies transitioning to high-quality, food-grade PET recycling.

Digital Readiness: Traceability and Smart Integration PET Bottles

Kreyenborg’s IR-Clean system supports digital tracking and process analytics, enabling manufacturers to monitor purity levels, material flow, and energy efficiency in real-time. This improves transparency and compliance reporting for food safety authorities and brand stakeholders alike.

Impact on Circular Economy and Sustainability

As Europe accelerates toward a circular plastic economy, technologies like IR-Clean are essential to:

• Reduce reliance on virgin plastic feedstock PET Bottles
• Boost post-consumer PET recycling rates
• Support carbon reduction goals through closed-loop systems

By enabling 100% food-contact recycled PET, Kreyenborg helps bridge the gap between safety and sustainability, a crucial step in building long-term packaging resilience.