Tetrapak recycling

The technology for recycling beverage cartons is simple and widely available.

Fibre recovery :
image source: Tetrapak
Paper mills recycle Tetra Pak cartons, either separately or together with other paper grades, by separating paper fibres from polyethylene and aluminium using a water-based process known as repulping.
The virgin fibres used in Tetra Pak products are specially selected to give maximum strength and stiffness for the lowest possible weight. When recycled, these fibres provide a valuable raw material for new paper and board products.

Recovery of non-fibre components:
Recovery and recycling of aluminium and polyethylene extracted during the repulping process varies from country to country. For example, in Finland one paper mill recovers the energy to generate steam that is used either for drying pulp or producing electricity. This mill also generates aluminium powder for re-smelting.
In Germany, repulping residues are used in cement kilns where polyethylene serves as a high-energy fuel. The aluminium is recovered as aluminium trioxide, which is an essential ingredient in cement.

Suitability for energy recovery
Tetra Pak cartons have a high calorific value, generally in the range of 20-25 MJ/kg, and are therefore suitable for energy recovery.
The calorific value of the non-fibre polyethylene and aluminium components available after the fibre recycling process is typically around 30 MJ/kg.
Tests have shown that Tetra Pak cartons are comparable to bio-fuels such as wood chips and bark in terms of emissions.

source: tetrapak
image source: tetrapak
Tetrapak recycling Tetrapak recycling  Reviewed by Abhinav on 20:56 Rating: 5

No comments:

Powered by Blogger.