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Mechanical recycling can turn the plastic packaging in the Yellow Bag into new packaging. Werner & Mertz and Alpla are working together in the Recyclate Initiative and have increased the proportion of plastic from the Yellow Bag in Werner & Mertz packaging.
Werner & Mertz is together with his partner Alpla has achieved a success for the genuine circular economy as part of the Recyclate Initiative: The Mainz-based detergent manufacturer is increasing the recycling rate of its tried-and-tested Frosch PET bottles made from 100 per cent recycled plastic. Share of rPET from the Yellow Bag at 75 per cent.
„As a pioneer, Werner & Mertz continues to advance the technological development of material from the Yellow Bag for high-quality packaging. More than four million PET bottles with an increased share of 75 per cent Yellow Bag material are already on the market. This proves once again the real feasibility of our approach of mechanically reprocessing plastic from end consumer collections as a recyclable material after use, reusing it and thus keeping it in the cycle.“
Alexander Schau, packaging expert at Werner & Mertz
The remaining 25 per cent of the material - also mechanically recycled - comes from the European beverage bottle collection (bottle to bottle). The step to 75 per cent was made on the one hand by the Sorting systems at the highest technical level and the knowledge acquired and the constant inspection of the PET bales delivered to the recycling plant.
Thanks to state-of-the-art software and computer technology, Alplarecycling was able to More accurate sorting at high speed allows sorting efficiency to be increased even further.
„Plastics are recyclable materials and deserve the best possible recycling in the cycle. We can only achieve this by continuously developing our recycling processes and investing in the latest sorting technologies. The long-standing collaboration with Werner & Mertz to increase the proportion of recycling from the Yellow Bag is an ideal example of the joint implementation of advanced recycling projects.“
Dietmar Marin, Managing Director Recycling Division at Alpla
The packaging experts at Werner & Mertz analyse the bales of used plastics delivered to the recycling plant. On site, they regularly analyse which materials in which quality are available for recycling in the PET bales. The knowledge about this waste stream flows into the process development.
Werner & Mertz launched the Recyclate Initiative together with Alpla and other cooperation partners along the entire value chain back in 2012. Since then, the Recyclate Initiative has worked to ensure that Plastic from end user collections as recyclable material is recycled and reused after use and thus remains in the cycle. In 2014, the company succeeded in PET bottles from the well-known Frosch brand made from 100 per cent PCR 20 per cent of which from the Yellow Bag source. This was increased to 50 per cent in February 2021 and the increase to 75 per cent was achieved in 2023.
The used plastic from the Yellow Bag can now be recycled cleanly and according to type in a high-quality upcycling process. Due to its low melting point, plastic is well suited to being reused again and again. The most direct and energy-saving form of recycling management in our industry is therefore the Mechanical recycling from plastic.
Source: Werner & Mertz
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