Kurz develops recycling process for PET materials

The company has succeeded in recycling the residual material and turning it into a high-quality, injection moldable material. While recycled plastics are usually used for simple secondary applications such as exercise mats, park benches or flowerpots, the PET material developed by Kurz can be utilized for sophisticated injection molding applications.

‘As a global market and innovation leader in the printing sector, we view it as our duty to offer the printing and plastics industries sustainable ways to achieve excellent finishing and decoration. For many years now we have been striving to ensure that our transfer products are manufactured, processed and disposed of in a sustainable manner. Thanks to our new recycling process, we have now fully closed the material cycle. This is a milestone in plastics recycling,’ said Markus Hoffmann, member of management board at Kurz.

The concept developed provides for the collection and shipment, or pickup of the used Kurz transfer products at the customer, and conversion of the material into new injection molding material in the company’s own recycling facility.

A recycling facility in Fürth is currently in pilot operation. At present, it is recycling residual Kurz PET material from Edelmann with plans to expand the program to further customers. Moreover, the company plans to establish recycling facilities at all Kurz international manufacturing locations to ensure a universal approach through short transport distances.