Baerlocher additive has the power to boost recycled plastics

German producer Baerlocher has created a new additive to support the greater use of recycled plastic in polyolefin and polyethylene film packaging. This comes at a time when producers are eager to use more recycled content instead of virgin.

The company is collaborating with leading recyclers, converters and brand owners to improve the quality of products containing post-industrial and post-consumer plastic. Its innovative Baeropol T-Blends, described as ‘synergistic polymer stabilisers’, were promoted at the recent K Show in Germany. They are meant to resolve performance and processing inconsistency issues that are typical for plastic waste film. 

The new blends, which include the T-Blend 111 TX, rely on Bearlocher’s proprietary resin stabilisation technology and replace traditional antacids. The technology works with primary and secondary antioxidants to stabilise polyolefin resins better than standard binary antioxidant blends.

With the 111 TX blend, higher recycled content can be achieved ‘without too much hassle’, says Ed Hall, ceo of Baerlocher USA. Benefits include:

• stable melt flow
• reduced scrap waste
• colour maintained
• dust-free
• easy to use
• reduced down-time (blow moulders)
• outperforms traditional B-blends in moulding studies

‘We want to facilitate the increased use of recycled content without sacrificing quality and performance,’ Hall underlines adding that Baerlocher is engaged in numerous commercial projects with leading members of the Association of Plastic Recyclers, such as Arkansas-based recycler Revolution and Cascades Canada in Quebec.

Meanwhile, European association VinylPlus has just certified Baerlocher as a sustainable supplier of PVC additives.