Marker system

Tracer-Based-Sorting. Vereinfachte Sortierung von Plastik

linda.mederake@ecologic.eu — Tue, 03 May 2022 12:21:49 +0000

Tracer-Based-Sorting. Vereinfachte Sortierung von Plastik linda.mederake… Tue, 05/03/2022 - 14:21

Untertitel

Interview with Jochen Mößlein (in German)

Titelbild

Beschreibung

We all know, that plastics are a huge problem these days. Most people therefore separate their rubbish and throw plastic packaging in the yellow bag or in the yellow bin. But there is more that needs to be done. Because this plastic waste has to be sorted again, which is very difficult due to the immense number of different plastics. That is why lots of plastic waste still ends up in incineration and does not find its way back into the circular economy.

The Tracer-Based Sorting system aims to change that. It classifies the different materials and thus makes sorting easier. The technology was invented by the physicist Jochen Mößlein. He is the founder and managing director of Polysecure GmbH. radioeins conducted an interview with Jochen Mößlein in the run-up to the "Plastic in the Environment" theme day.

Further Links

Interview (in German)

Joint project

MaReK

Year

2022

Type of Result

video & audio

Tags

Waste management

Design for Recycling

Detection

Fluorescence marker-based sorting technology

Publikationstyp

Querschnittsthema

Factsheet 4: Tracer-Based-Sorting mit Fluoreszenz-Tracern - Effizientes und flexibles Sortieren von Kunststoffverpackungen

janna.vakili@ecologic.eu — Thu, 15 Apr 2021 07:21:07 +0000

Factsheet 4: Tracer-Based Sorting with Fluorescent Tracers - Efficient and flexible sorting of plastic packaging janna.vakili@e… Thu, 04/15/2021 - 09:21

Titelbild

Beschreibung

The German Packaging Act calls for a significant increase in recycling rates for plastics. In order to be able to produce high-quality recyclates, plastic articles must be separated by type. However, there is currently a lack of satisfactory identification options for the many different plastics.

This is where the technology from MaReK comes in. The joint project successfully developed a detection system using fluorescence tracers, which can significantly improve the sorting and recycling of plastic packaging in the sense of a circular economy.

The fourth factsheet presents the technology, its application areas and its relevance in further detail. It is available here as a PDF download.

Attachments

Factsheet 4 of the BMBF Research Focus Plastics in the Environment.

Joint project

MaReK

Year

2021

Author

Jörg Woidasky

Claus Lang-Koetz

Johannes Gasde

Jochen Moesslein

Authors

Type of Result

factsheets

Citation

Woidasky, Jörg; Lang-Koetz, Claus; Gasde, Johannes, Moesslein, Jochen (2021): Tracer-Based Sorting with Fluorescent Tracers: Efficient and flexible sorting of plastic packaging. Fact sheet 4 of the BMBF research focus „Plastics in the Environment“.

Tags

Database

Design for Recycling

Farbpartikel

Fluorescence marker-based sorting technology

Resource conservation

Publikationstyp

MaReK Stakeholder Workshop on Tracer Based Sorting for Plastic Packaging

linda.mederake@ecologic.eu — Mon, 15 Apr 2019 13:31:18 +0000

MaReK Stakeholder Workshop on Tracer Based Sorting for Plastic Packaging linda.mederake… Mon, 04/15/2019 - 15:31

Titelbild

Location

Freiburg

Joint Project

MaReK

Date

24 September 2019

Event type

Joint Project Event

Image Gallery

Tags

Stakeholder

Fluorescence marker-based sorting technology

Marker system

Date sort

Tue, 09/24/2019 - 12:00

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Aus

KuWert

KALEH — Tue, 19 Dec 2017 16:12:48 +0000

KuWert KALEH Tue, 12/19/2017 - 17:12

Ship-Based Treatment of Plastics for the Implementation of Value Chains in Less Developed Countries as well as for the Prevention of Plastic Inputs into the Environment and Especially in Marine Ecosystems

The aim of the project was to develop concepts and preliminary planning for the implementation of an infrastructure for the collection, ship-based treatment, and marketing of plastic waste in order to reduce the input of plastic waste into the environment and marine ecosystems. The project's target regions were primarily less developed countries in the Global South. Using West Africa as an example, strategies for reducing the input of plastics (in this case macroplastics) into the environment were researched, because the input of macroplastics into the environment is particularly high when functioning waste collection and disposal systems are lacking. Stakeholder dialogues were conducted to assess whether a commodity chain based on plastic recyclates is possible on the West African coast. A prototype model ship was developed and used to determine costs.

Main areas of work

Data collection, analysis and evaluation (local conditions in less developed countries)
Preliminary planning of waste treatment plants
Design of a concept for suitable ship and plant technology
Development of strategies for the implementation of value chains in less developed countries
Analysis and evaluation of results (economic, ecological)

Arbeitspakete

Work packages

WP 1 Basic evaluation – recording of plastic waste

Contact person
Dr. Martin Wittmaier, IEKrW, Neustadtswall 30, 28199 Bremen, e-mail: wittmaier-office@hs-bremen.de

Project partner
TECHNOLOG, Nehlsen, University of Mauritius, University of Sierra Leone

Short description
It was of utmost importance for the processing of the entire project to gain knowledge of the composition of the plastic waste that potentially was collected in less developed countries. To this end, data and information (types, qualities, quantities, framework conditions, logistics, etc.) were first collected, analysed and evaluated, including on site in the example countries Sierra Leone and Mauritius.

WP 2 Pre-design of a treatment and recovery plant

Contact person
Dr. Sven Rausch, Nehlsen GmbH & Co. KG, Wilhelm-Karmann-Str. 5, 28237 Bremen, e-mail: sven.rausch@nehlsen.com

Project partner
TECHNOLOG, IEKrW, University of Mauritius, University of Sierra Leone

Short description
In this WP, waste treatment plants were planned in various variants. For this purpose, national and international framework conditions connected with the construction and operation of the ship-based facilities to be developed were determined. Various known procedures were evaluated and tested for their suitability, as were requirements for operation, maintenance and repair. On this basis, the objectives for the treatment of plastic waste were defined, followed by the development of conceptual designs.

WP 3 Concept development (ship and plant engineering)

Contact person
Fridtjof Rohde, TECHNOLOG, Vorsetzen 50, 20459 Hamburg, e-mail: fridtjof.rohde@tlg-services.biz

Project partner
IEKrW, Nehlsen

Short description
Preliminary designs for up to three variants of carrier vessels/semi-submersibles for the treatment of plastic waste were developed with alternative shipbound logistics concepts. Rough planning included room planning and process-oriented arrangement of facilities, equipment for maritime technology, equipment for waste treatment plants, etc. The production costs and energy requirements were also determined and the variants were compared economically.

WP 4 Marketing potential of secondary raw materials

Contact person
Dr. Sven Rausch, Nehlsen GmbH & Co. KG, Wilhelm-Karmann-Straße 5, 28237 Bremen, e-mail: sven.rausch@nehlsen.com

Project partner
IEKrW, TECHNOLOG

Short description
The market for secondary raw materials was examined, since these are fundamentally valuable. Tradeable products from plastic waste were identified and the quality requirements to be met specified. Possible revenues were also estimated. The resulting technical requirements for processing technology and quality management were taken into account in the other WPs. Based on the results, strategies for the most economical processing and marketing of products made from plastic waste were developed.

WP 5 Profitability analysis and life cycle assessment

Contact person
Dr. Martin Wittmaier, IEKrW, Neustadtswall 30, 28199 Bremen, e-mail: wittmaier-office@hs-bremen.de

Project partner
TECHNOLOG, Nehlsen

Short description
The concepts and preliminary planning for the ship-based collection, processing and marketing of plastic waste from less developed countries developed in the project were evaluated under economic and ecological aspects. On the basis of the results, the ecological advantages (reduction of the input of plastics into the environment, protection of resources by recycling plastic waste) were determined. The evaluation of the economic efficiency was intended to assess the chances of realisation and provide a planning framework for potential investors, funding providers and operators of a ship-based collection and treatment plant for plastic waste.

WP 6 Project management, public relations, recycling concept

Contact person
Fridtjof Rohde, TECHNOLOG, Vorsetzen 50, 20459 Hamburg, e-mail: fridtjof.rohde@tlg-services.biz

Project partner
IEKrW, Nehlsen

Short description
Within the framework of WP 6, work was carried out on internal and external communication (project meetings, workshops, communication between national and international partners including maintaining contacts with interested shipping companies/shipowners, public relations, etc.) and project management (administrative and content-related reporting, work and progress control and coordination, etc.).

Coordinator

Fridtjof Rohde
TECHNOLOG Services GmbH
Vorsetzen 50
20459 Hamburg
Phone: +49 40 7070768-20
e-mail: fridtjof.rohde@tlg-services.biz

Website

http://www.KuWert.hs-bremen.de

Partner Institutions

Hochschule Bremen – City University of Applied Sciences, Institute for Energy, Recycling and Environmental Protection / IEKrW

Nehlsen GmbH & Co. KG

Duration Period

August 2017

December 2019

Tags

Waste reduction

Waste management

Methodology of analyses

Environmental accounting

Optimization process

Plastic littering

Reduction of plastic use

Polyamide (PA)

Polyester

Polyethylene (PE)

High density polyethylene PE-HD

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)

Resource conservation

Risk assessment

Secondary raw materials

Sorting

Stakeholder

Material flow managment

Project sheet

13_Projektblatt_KUWERT_ENG_2018.pdf

Koordinator label

Coordinator

MaReK

KALEH — Tue, 19 Dec 2017 16:01:40 +0000

MaReK KALEH Tue, 12/19/2017 - 17:01

Marker-Based Sorting and Recycling System for Plastic Packaging

The goal of this project was to set up a markerbased system for sorting and recycling that involves every stage from packaging development and sorting technology to high quality material reuse. The MaRek project demonstrated the usefulness of fluorescent markers for waste management applications. For this purpose, the use of the TBS technology developed and patented by the project partner Polysecure was piloted as a possible solution and then tested in an industry-relevant way, especially for the sorting of plastic packaging (LVP). The speed, effectiveness and economic efficiency of sorting different compositions of the collection fractions were investigated under industry-relevant boundary conditions. The project addressed the entire value chain of the packaging life cycle from design to process development for marker application and sorting to recovery of the materials. Approaches to a new packaging governance were elaborated with the relevant stakeholders and, in the medium term, should serve as a basis for more sustainable packaging use in addition to the technical results of the project. In this way, the developed process can make an important contribution to increasing the recycling rate required by the new packaging law.

Main areas of work

Representative recycling of lightweight plastic packaging including determination of the technical residual value (material properties) and the added value potential
New or further development and industrial testing of the "tracer-based sorting" method with real batches from separate collection (pilot plant), for this purpose further development of tracer and detection technology
Applied innovation research for the investigation of drivers and obstacles of the developed technology and their application in the complex structure of stakeholders
Comprehensive analysis of energy and material flows and an assessment of possible environmental impacts of the developed technology taking into account the life cycle perspective

Arbeitspakete

Work packages

WP 1 Packaging design and supply

Contact person
Immo Sander, Werner & Mertz GmbH, Rheinallee 96, 55120 Mainz, e-mail: isander@werner-mertz.com

Project partner
Der Grüne Punkt – Duales System Deutschland, INEC – Pforzheim University, Polysecure

Short description
Development and provision of plastic packaging marked with markers from the non-food sector for the subsequent tests as well as the derivation of transferability potentials for further areas of application.

WP 2 Marker technology

Contact person
Prof. Dr. Bryce S. Richards, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute of Microstructure Technology, Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, e-mail: bryce.richards@kit.edu

Project partner
Polysecure

Short description
Adaptation of the fluorescence markers to the intended application.

WP 3 TBS sorting technology

Contact person
Jochen Moesslein, Polysecure GmbH, Engesserstr. 4a, 79108 Freiburg, e-mail: jochen.moesslein@polysecure.eu

Project partner
Der Grüne Punkt – Duales System Deutschland, INEC – Pforzheim University

Short description
Development of a TBS sorting machine for packaging including construction of a sorting pilot plant (sorting machine plus material feed and discharge as well as inline sensors).

WP 4 Sorting tests

Contact person
Stefan Wiethoff, Der Grüne Punkt – Duales System Deutschland GmbH, Frankfurter Straße 720–726, 51145 Köln (Porz-Eil), e-mail: stefan.wiethoff@gruener-punkt.de

Project partner
INEC – Pforzheim University, Polysecure, Werner & Mertz

Short description
Large-scale validation tests including determination of the quality and material properties of the sorted fractions.

WP 5 Innovation and sustainability analysis

Contact person
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Claus Lang-Koetz, Pforzheim University, Institute of Industrial Ecology, Tiefenbronner Straße 65, 75175 Pforzheim, e-mail: claus.lang-koetz@hs-pforzheim.de

Project partner
With the cooperation of all partners

Short description
Development of an energy and material flow model (economic, ecological, technical) and determination of the ecological and economic framework conditions as well as drivers and obstacles for a successful process on the market.

WP 6 Development of governance approaches

Contact person
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Claus Lang-Koetz, Pforzheim University, Institute of Industrial Ecology, Tiefenbronner Straße 65, 75175 Pforzheim, e-mail: claus.lang-koetz@hs-pforzheim.de

Project partner
With the cooperation of all partners

Short description
Development of stakeholder-specific approaches to increase recycling rates and to improve material flow quality.

WP 7 Transfer of results and external impact

Contact person
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jörg Woidasky, Pforzheim University, Institute of Industrial Ecology, Tiefenbronner Straße 65, 75175 Pforzheim, e-mail: joerg.woidasky@hs-pforzheim.de

Project partner
With the cooperation of all partners

Short description
Informing the public about the results.

Coordinator

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Claus Lang-Koetz und Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jörg Woidasky,
Hochschule Pforzheim University,
Institute of Industrial Ecology/ INEC
Tiefenbronner Straße 65
75175 Pforzheim
Phone: 07231/28-6427 bzw. -6489
e-mail: claus.lang-koetz@hs-pforzheim.de; joerg.woidasky@hs-pforzheim.de

Website

https://www.hs-pforzheim.de/en/research/research_institutes/inec/projects/marek

Partner Institutions

Polysecure GmbH

Werner & Mertz GmbH

Der Grüne Punkt – Duales System Deutschland GmbH

Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute of Microstructure Technology / KIT-IMT

Associated Partners

Umwelttechnik BW GmbH, State Agency for Environmental Technology and Resource Efficiency Baden-Württemberg / UTBW

Subcontractor

CMO-SYS GmbH

Nägele Mechanik GmbH