Lindner aids coastal clear-up

Unifi, which manufacturers high-performance synthetic and recycled fibres, is using three Lindner shredders to recover plastic waste along the coasts of developing countries.

Collected plastic, including PET bottles, is processed by shredders from Lindner’s Micromat series work to ensure that these are optimally shredded for the downstream processes. Unifi’s contractors collect plastic within 50 km of waterways or coastal areas, mainly in developing countries, to produce its branded ‘Repreve Our Ocean’ recycled fibre.

Unifi chose Lindner as a reliable partner in 2018 and now three Lindner Micromat 2000 prepare plastic and textile waste for its journey to extrusion, spinning and finally winding the fibres used by some of the world’s best- known brands, such as Pottery Barn, Levi’s, and Tom’s Shoes.

Total support

Scott Trivette, operations manager of the Repreve Recycling Centre and Future Innovation Centre in Yadkinville, North Carolina, describes the relationship with Lindner as ‘a great partnership which we require because of our 24/7/365 operating model’.
‘A provider who can only be there for us between 9am and 5pm just doesn’t work for us,’ he maintains. ‘We need answers within hours, not days, and Lindner with its hub in Statesville, NC is always there for us.’

Micromat shredders are specially designed for the requirements of post-commercial and post-consumer plastics recycling. They have high-torque motors for powerful shredding and are designed and built to optimise uptime and streamline maintenance tasks.

‘The lightning-fast safety coupling offers optimum machine protection and easy access to the rotor means that non-shreddables can be removed quickly and easily,’ Trivette adds. ‘Lindner’s machines have enabled us to minimise downtime and maximise the throughput of the entire plant, which is essential with an average production of 1.5 million pounds (680 tonnes) of resin per week.’