Petcore endorses recyclability of SurBond-E™ barrier material

Petcore (www.petcore.org) announced shortly that multi-layer barrier bottles produced by the Graham Packaging Company, using their SurShot™ co-injection technology combined with their SurBond-E™ barrier material, fulfilled the specifications of the Petcore protocol for bottle to bottle and bottle to fiber testing under the following conditions:

• 2% barrier content
• 5 layer structure (2 layers barrier, 3 layers PET) which results in very thin barrier layers

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• No use of compatibiliser that could enhance bonding or decrease separation

Over the past 3 years, the Graham Packaging Company conducted various recycling tests with their multi-layered barrier bottles containing 2% of SurBond-E™, an EvOH based barrier material. Those tests included new requirements imposed by Petcore to establish additional Protocol steps for realistic air elutriation.

The proprietary Graham Packaging Company SurShot™ multilayer technology is uniquely different from other multilayer systems. It produces two thin layers of barrier instead of one thick layer, resulting in a preform construction of: PET/ SurBond-E™ / PET / SurBond-E™ / PET

The Graham Packaging Company patented metering technology provides the ability to deliver two thin SurBond-E™ barrier layers. This twin barrier technology proved to be a great advantage during recycling as it enhanced the ability to remove very high levels of SurBond-E™.

The separation of PET from the very thin SurBond-E™ layers during the grinding and washing stages was a key factor. When combined with air elutriation under common European recycling conditions, the final testing proved the near elimination of the SurBond-E™ barrier layers. This minimised the residual amount of SurBond-E™ reducing colour and haze effects in the recyclate to within the Petcore protocol specifications.

The Graham Packaging Company also provided the Petcore Expert Evaluation Committee, which includes representation of European recyclers and national collection agencies, with technical evidence showing that injection moulding process variations will not affect the separation efficiency during recycling.

Petcore’s Technical Director Karl Schöpf commented: “We realised from the start that the Graham Packaging Company had to provide very solid evidence as it is well understood that EVOH has detrimental effects on recycled products (colour and haze) above 500 ppm. They went the extra mile and we appreciate their patience and commitment during this lengthy process”.

Petcore (PET containers recycling Europe) is a non-profit European trade association based in Brussels. Its mission focuses on the development of PET packaging, with a particular emphasis on PET recycling.

Petcore’s Expert Evaluation Committee consists of specialists operating both in the PET industry and in the field of packaging waste management.

Petcore, Brussels, Belgium

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