Recycling loop, a circular economy model

What is the purpose of a recycling loop?

Our Recycling loop has existed since the 2000s, and its exclusively French version since 2020. This loop has been built around French partners who are experts in the field of recycling or injection moulding. Each step in the recycling of plastic is key, with the ultimate goal of creating clean, re-injectable recycled material. Indeed, each decision can be crucial: poor sorting can lead to black spots on the re-injected product or poor homogenisation can lead to loss of technical performance and colour instability.

In the recycling chain managed by Altyor, multiple engineering plastics are processed, such as ABS or PC, resulting in 100% recycled products in multiple colours.

Dismantling

The next step is dismantling. The electronics must be separated from the mechanical parts. On the electronic side, some components with rare metals can be recovered and recycled in specialised channels. As for the mechanics, the elements must be separated according to their type of material. For example, silicone must be separated from plastic. This stage is also very important. The better it is done, the cleaner the recycled material will be and the more ideal it will be for reinjection. This stage also shows the advantages of eco-design upstream: eliminating bi-material products, avoiding labels stuck on the plastic, banning ultrasonic welding, etc. All this experience now enables Altyor to obtain a stage 2 without complexity.

Shredding and removal of ferrous elements

In this stage N°3, all the plastic elements by material and by colour are crushed to obtain a material in the form of chips. At the end of the shredding machine, the material passes under magnets to remove the ferrous elements. This is the final cleaning phase. Indeed, there will be no need to clean with water thanks to our expertise in eco-design, put in place during the development of the product, and thanks to a careful dismantling. The regrind is now ready to move forward in the recycling loop with minimal pollution.

Extrusion

Extrusion or regeneration makes it possible to reconstitute a raw material with the same shape as a new material (also known as virgin). How is it done? The recycled pellets are placed in an extruder, a machine consisting of a heated tube through which a rotating screw passes. At the end of this process, the material is softened, formed into spaghetti and cut into pellets.

Eco-design prevention plan, have you done it? https://altyor.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Drawing-up-your-Eco-design-Prevention-Plan.jpg 1000 553 Altyor Altyor //altyor.fr/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Logo-Altyor-H-RVB_2018.svg 12 August 2023 12 September 2023

Altyor’s recycling loop

What is the purpose of a recycling loop?

What are the different stages of a recycling loop?

Product recovery

Dismantling

Shredding and removal of ferrous elements

Homogenisation

Extrusion

Injection

Injection

Plastic: How to set up a recycling loop?

The latest news about our eco-responsible approach

Eco-design prevention plan, have you done it?

Altyor, New Member of the UN Global Compact

It’s (carbon) assessment time at Altyor!