Extrusion International 3-2022

44 Extrusion International 3/2022 Recycling – Case Study Ghost(net)buster in the Netherlands With commissioning of the Healix recycling center inMaastricht, the Netherlands, founder Marcel Alberts has declared war on so-called Ghost Nets. These are left-over, floating fishing nets and ropes that pollute the world’s oceans – which are unfortunately all too familiar from the unforgettable photos of sea turtles or other sea creatures caught up in them. Using state- of-the-art technology for plastics recycling, the aim is to turn this linear waste into a product on site and create a circular economy. At the forefront of the process chain is aWEIMAW5.22 single-shaft shredder with hydraulic drive. F irst back to 2020, the year Hea- lix was founded. The visionary Marcel Alberts was increasingly aware of the marine plastic prob- lem and decided to do something about it. As he later quotes himself at the opening, it is time to "Stop talking, start doing." The smart en- trepreneur from Maastricht previ- ously gained two decades of valu- able experience in the fber and textile industry, which he can use to his advantage for his project that is very close to his heart. His idea is both simple and am- bitious: Collecting discarded and broken nets, ropes and cords from fshing and farming to recycle them. Unfortunately, there are more than enough of them. Healix states that ghost nets account for at least 30 percent of the great pacifc garbage patch. That's the size of France – times three. Abandoned plastic fbers, mostly PP and HDPE, procured from na- tional collection centers are used to create something new. The plastic waste includes fshing nets, packag - ing products such as big bags, ropes, particularly tear-resistant yarn and other fber-based materials from the agricultural industry. Healix relies on state-of-the-art recycling technology to ensure that the closed loop and production of rPP and rHDPE granulate works per- fectly. In the brand-new production halls, a WEIMA W5.22 single-shaft shredder with a working width of 2,200 mm is used for the frst step of shredding. It is equippedwith a pow- erful hydraulic drive fromHägglunds Bosch Rexroth. The steel colossus, which weighs just under 12 tonnes, also has a generous maintenance access that makes getting to the in- terior of the rotor easy. Alberts re- members: "When I was researching suitable shredders on the internet, I quickly became aware of WEIMA and also saw videos about the size reduction of nets and big bags. At the same time, I asked around within my network. What can I say? WEIMA Danger formarinewildlife: ghost nets Extrudedplastic scrap RecycledHealixbottles Baledghost nets