Additives in Action: Enhancing Plastic Recycling

Plastics Engineering spoke with Roberto Nunez, Director of Market Development at Baerlocher USA, about the company’s role in plastics recycling.

You can also read: Formulations Target Evolving End-Use Needs

The Role of Additives in Recycling

Additives play a transformative role in improving the quality and performance of post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastics. Recycled polymers often face challenges like degradation from multiple heat cycles during recycling. Baerlocher’s RST stabilizer helps overcome these issues by enhancing durability and maintaining the material’s integrity, even after repeated processing.

PVC cable applications. Courtesy of Baerlocher.

These additives also reduce imperfections, such as gels, ensuring that PCR plastics perform on par with virgin materials. By integrating additives into advanced recycling technologies, Baerlocher improves material quality and enhances process efficiency, enabling recyclers to achieve better outputs with fewer resources.

Advancing Recycling Through Collaboration

Baerlocher collaborates with brands, recyclers, converters, and machinery manufacturers to advance recycling efforts and foster a circular plastics economy. Its Recycling Summits, held annually in Cincinnati, gather up to 120 participants to exchange knowledge and promote collaboration across the industry.

These events feature stakeholders like polymer companies, machinery manufacturers, and brands, emphasizing education, testing innovations, and sharing best practices. By partnering with organizations like Revolution, which recycles agricultural films into reusable products, Baerlocher contributes to developing impactful circular solutions.

Brands, recyclers, converters, and machinery manufacturers collaborate to promote recycling initiatives and support the development of a circular plastics economy.

Addressing Regulatory Challenges

Baerlocher proactively develops solutions that meet increasingly strict regulatory requirements while delivering improved performance and recyclability for its customers. Emerging technologies often face compatibility issues when combining different chemistries, creating challenges for recyclers and polymer producers.

To address these issues, the company works closely with industry partners to design solutions that balance compliance, functionality, and sustainability. By staying ahead of regulatory changes, Baerlocher helps its customers navigate a complex and evolving landscape effectively.

Rapid Market Adoption of New Technologies

By emphasizing designs for recyclability, the company encourages customers to simplify material structures, use mono-materials, and enhance overall production efficiency. These measures align with the industry’s shift toward creating easier-to-recycle products.

Driving Trends in Recycling

The recycling industry is transitioning from abstract discussions to concrete actions, and Baerlocher is helping accelerate this progress with innovative initiatives. The company promotes designing products for recyclability, simplifying plastic structures, and supporting bio-plasticizer development to meet sustainability goals.

For example, Baerlocher has introduced biobased plasticizers for PVC, providing eco-friendly alternatives in traditionally rigid applications. Additionally, projects like producing recycled plastic pallets demonstrate how incremental efforts can collectively drive substantial advancements in sustainability.

Baerlocher has introduced biobased plasticizers for PVC, providing eco-friendly alternatives in traditionally rigid applications. Courtesy of Baerlocher.

Adapting to Market and Regulatory Demands

As consumer awareness of plastic pollution and PFAS contamination grows, Baerlocher recognizes the industry must adapt to changing expectations. Public pressure and stricter regulations drive Baerlocher to develop compliant products and ensure transparency in addressing environmental concerns.

By offering solutions that align with regulatory requirements and consumer demands, Baerlocher helps customers navigate today’s complex and competitive market environment.

Looking Ahead: Future Goals and Core Principles

Also, as Roberto mentioned, Baerlocher remains dedicated to its core principles of respect, integrity, and excellence as it continues advancing sustainability in the plastics industry. Instead of pursuing drastic changes, the company focuses on gradual improvements that preserve its identity while addressing environmental challenges.

In the future, Baerlocher plans to expand its recycling efforts, sustain growth, and educate consumers on the importance of sustainable practices. By integrating innovation with responsibility, Baerlocher is helping shape a sustainable future for plastics while maintaining its position as a trusted industry leader.