Industrial effluents

How GEA decanters are used in the PET recycling industry

The majority of non-alcoholic beverages worldwide are filled in bottles made of polyethylene terephthalate, PET for short. GEA decanter centrifuges make an ecologically and economically valuable contribution to the recycling of PET bottles.

PET Bottles

How GEA technology works for the environment

In the recycling process of PET bottles, old products are first shredded into small pieces of two to three millimeters. Then hot and cold washing and subsequently caustic water is carried out to remove dirt such as sand, solids, sticker and adhesive residues.

In order that washing water and expensive alkaline solutions do not have to be constantly replaced or the equipment and machines required in the subsequent process do not become clogged, all contamination must be removed from the water circuit during cleaning. GEA environmental Decanter with very high G-force and torque handling capability are used here in the recycling industry. The washing water cleaned by this process can be fed back into the process cycle. This protects the environment and reduces production costs. Thus, an efficient separation system contributes invaluably in maintaining the water circular economy. 

The cleaned PET flakes are then available for further use and can be processed into sports shoes, functional garments, cushion fillings, reusable bags, binders or for processing the polyester in hygiene products such as wet wipes, or for "bottle-to-bottle" recycling, which requires a very tedious process of cleaning used PET bottles.

Decanter Pro 4000

Decanter Pro 4000

bottles

A reduced footprint for PET recycling and rPET

More post-consumer PET is recycled today thanks to increased efficiencies and cost-effective processing methods. Coupled with tougher recycling and production requirements, recycled PET is now more widely available and competitively priced. Many recycling companies rely on GEA centrifuge technology to handle their process water, enabling them to achieve quality and environmental standards while minimizing their running costs.
GEA sludge Decanter pro

GEA centrifuge technology for cleaning wash water in PET recycling

GEA, the mechanical engineering company and supplier of plants and systems, makes an ecologically and economically valuable contribution to the recycling of PET bottles.
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