Plastics recycling group invests six figures in optical sorter

A Lincolnshire-based plastics recycling group has invested a six-figure sum in optical sorting equipment in a move it says will help its customers “remain competitive in a challenging environment”.

The CK Group says the purchase and installation of the new processing equipment will improve the quality of the plastic regrinds it sells to both plastic compounders and manufacturers who use their regrinds for direct injection moulding and extrusion.

A new optical sorting line was installed at the Group’s Binbrook processing plant last December and has since gone through a rigorous testing and commissioning programme to deliver a completely bespoke process. It is now in full use and being used by CK Group to optically sort over 150 tonnes of recycled plastic regrinds each week.

The sorter identifies different regrinds and pellets by colour, material type and granule size and then rejects those that are undesirable. Trained operators can amend settings on the cameras to detect and eject the reject fraction to leave a polymer stream to suit the customer requirements, i.e. a mixed colour regrind with zero black fraction suitable for light-coloured compounds.

This, says the CK Group, means it is now able to provide bulk loads of plastic regrind that is not only sorted by grade, blended into 20 tonne batches and fully laboratory tested, but also defined by colour, meaning enhanced quality of regrind and a more consistent product to create efficiencies and cost savings in customers’ manufacturing processes.

“Combined with our investment in laboratory testing facilities, 20 tonne blenders and a wash line, this latest acquisition adds to our flexibility to handle a diverse range of regrinds and to give our customers what they want and need to be competitive in today’s challenging environment for recyclers,” said, Chris Collier, CK Group Commercial Director commented.