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MACHINERY
Italian technology plast / October 2024
CMG Granulators Earns Bronze Medal from EcoVadis
CMG Granulators earns Bronze Medal from EcoVadis for Sustainability Performance placing the company , with a score of 59 / 100 , in the top 70th globally . EcoVadis Rating validates CMG business sustainability commitments and performance . “ As part of our commitment to society , our people and the environment , CMG Granulators completes a thorough assessment of its business sustainability practices every year through EcoVadis , the global standard for business sustainability ratings .” says Giorgio Santella , CEO of CMG Granulators . The EcoVadis assessment includes 21 sustainability criteria across four core themes : Environment , Labor & Human Rights , Ethics and Sustainable Procurement . More than 125,000 companies globally have been rated by EcoVadis . Santella continues “ In our latest rating , which was completed
in May 2024 , we earned a bronze medal and scored a 59 / 100 , which places CMG in the top 70th globally .” EcoVadis ’ business sustainability ratings are based on international sustainability standards such as the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact , the International Labour Organization ( ILO ) conventions , the Global Reporting Initiative ( GRI ) standards and the ISO 26000 standard . The ratings provide an evidenced-based analysis on performance and an actionable roadmap for continuous improvement .
Giorgio Santella , CEO of CMG Granulators
The Recovery of Mixed Waste of PE and Aluminium
The recent revision of the European packaging policy opens a clear breakthrough for more sustainable packaging . According to the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive ( PPWD ), by 2030 all packaging placed on the European market must be fully reusable or recyclable . The ability to efficiently recover and reprocess post-consumer plastic waste of unconventional composition therefore plays a crucial role for industry players , who are called upon to become key players in the green transition . Specifically , several challenges characterise the recycling of multi-layer packaging , such as aseptic beverage packaging . Composed mainly of cardboard ( 75 %), these containers have thin polyethylene ( 20 %) and aluminium ( 5 %) foils inside , which preserve the food from contact with external agents . At the end of its use , the cellulose from the packaging is extracted and fed back into the recycled paper chain , while the solid residues of PE and aluminium create a compound , also called polyAl , that is compatible with numerous applications , attracting increasing interest from plastics converters . In response to this need , Bausano - a leading international player in the design and production of customised extrusion lines for plastics processing - has developed an innovative solution to transform LDPE- and aluminium-based post-consumer waste into core tubes , in harmony with the principles of the Circular Economy . A result made possible by Bausano ’ s ability to carry out feasibility analyses aimed at developing specially designed solutions for the recycling of contaminated plastic waste . In detail , the polyAl recovery plant consists of a single-screw extruder for E-GO R 60 / 37 tubes with double degassing and forced loading system , ideal for managing the density of the material and ensuring its smooth flow within the machinery . Prior to extrusion , the material undergoes a densification process , which is essential to increase its firmness and transform it into a manageable compound suitable for further processing . The final output is a robust tube with a smooth surface feel , both internally and externally , ideal for winding reels of cloth , film , paper and other materials . Besides being synonymous with low environmental impact , these recycled products are a cheaper alternative to traditional cardboard or virgin polymer cores . At the root of the success of Bausano ’ s solutions is its unique work method , which starts with the customer ’ s specific formula and then works out structured analyses in order to make each extrusion line completely customised . To this end , Bausano involves its Experts , even before the plant design phase , in carrying out a feasibility study preparatory to the project itself . Following the preliminary evaluation , the work process continues in the company ’ s laboratory , where the material is analysed using a capillary rheometer in order to understand its viscosity as a function of the shear rate . Starting with the rheological characterisation of the molten material , Bausano ’ s team engineers are able to optimise the design of the screw and extrusion head . A subsequent test , conducted on the Brabender plastograph , provides crucial information for predicting the behaviour of the cast material during all processing steps . In this case , the use of the plastograph made it possible to accurately record values for the mixture ’ s melting speed , rotor torque and energy required for the process . Using software for fluid-dynamic analysis , the data obtained were compared with the rheological characteristics of already known materials compatible with extrusion . The comparison showed that the process parameters of the polyAl processed by the customer were in line with those of materials easily extruded using Bausano technology , ensuring optimal output levels in terms of both quantity and quality . A further plus for the customer , guaranteed by Bausano , is the possibility of verifying , in advance and at the company site , the feedback from the laboratory instruments . During this last phase , the waste polyAl is tested with a MD30 twin-screw counter-rotating laboratory extruder to confirm suitability of the solution for industrial scale-up in terms of amperage , thrust and head pressure values .
Pipe and granules
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