Starlinger post-consumer HDPE and PP recycling line for Turkish plastics recycler Tanrikulu

The recycling line, installed at the company’s recycling facility in Başiskele, Kocaeli Province, took up operation mid of September 2022.

Featuring Starlinger’s special high-vacuum degassing unit, the recoSTAR dynamic 215 C-VAC has a production capacity of two tonnes of high-quality plastic pellets per hour and processes post-consumer HDPE and PP bottle flakes. The line is equipped with a SMART feeder which ensures ideal material preparation prior to extrusion, effectively drying and homogenising the input material.

“The Starlinger recoSTAR dynamic recycling lines have been designed with the focus on processing contaminated and highly humid post-consumer plastic waste”, explained Paul Niedl, Commercial Head of Starlinger recycling technology. “The elaborate construction of the SMART feeder allows the recycling of materials with higher levels of humidity. In combination with Starlinger’s Dynamic Automation Package which regulates the ideal operating point, it achieves a significant output increase.”

The specially developed C-VAC degassing unit with its modern cascade setup takes care of volatile contaminants after the main extruder, effectively removing them by expanding the melt surface by 300 %.

Tanrıkulu supplies the produced regranulate to the Turkish plastic product manufacturing industry. While the recycled polypropylene is used mainly to produce automobile plastic parts, furniture, toys and other injection moulding products, as well as for pallets, buckets or packaging films, the recycled polyethylene is used for pipes, bottles, plastic bags, and similar products.

“At Tanrıkulu, we try to improve ourselves at every opportunity we get. For that, we continuously upgrade our production equipment”, said İzzet Tanrıkulu, General Manager of Tanrıkulu Group of Companies. “To ensure best regranulate quality, the post-consumer input material passes metal detectors and filtration systems before being washed and sorted. The excellent vacuum degassing capacity of the Starlinger line combined with its high production output helps us to achieve best product quality at favourable costs, ensuring continuous supply of high-quality PP and PE regranulate to our customers.”