Every production, whether it is packaging, yarn or machinery, generates waste. Companies should therefore strive to minimise their impact on nature. As environmental protection is part of Chemosvit’s environmental pillars of sustainability, mechanisms for recovering and processing waste have been developed since 1976.
Raw material recovery first encountered problems
The first attempt to recover secondary raw materials dates back to 1976, when we started processing PE films on the regranulation line in the PE product department. However, by the end of 1977, the situation was not favourable.
Out of more than 5,000 tonnes of film waste, only 400 tonnes were regranulated. Most of the waste was transported to the suburbs of Svit, where part of it was deposited, and most was incinerated freely.
In 1979, a concept for the development, creation, and protection of the environment was developed. This concept foresaw the expansion of the regranulation of PE film waste and cutting BOPP films into yarns, the production of insulation materials, the construction of a waste incineration plant, and the creation of conditions for monitoring and evaluating air imissions in the city of Svit.
By expanding the processing of film waste into regranulate, fibres and other products on the lines, the recovery of nearly 4,400 tonnes of waste per year has been achieved.
Waste processing acquires its own division
In 1990, we created a new department for the comprehensive processing of secondary raw materials, from which a separate division emerged a year later. By the end of 1991, the management ordered the production of two agglomeration lines for the company’s own use from the in-house machinery plant.
Injection moulds were installed to process the agglomerate produced. That led to the manufacturing of hollows, telecommunications boards, and protective numbers for film cylinders.
Another project of the new department was the pyrolysis waste incineration plant, which started operations in 1992. Its capacity of 1,200 tonnes per year meant the elimination of the deposition of non-processable waste in the landfill.
The production of recyclates experiences growth
In September 1997, the company Chemosvit Environchem was established, which contributed to the enhancement of the environment. It provided, among other things, the recycling of plastic waste from Chemosvit subsidiaries and external companies, agglomeration and disposal of non-recyclable waste by pyrolysis.
In 1998, the production of recyclates in Environchem was at 1,340 tonnes. This number grew to 2,000 tonnes by 2006. It rose gradually also thanks to the regranulation line, which was put into operation in 2007. It helped us to increase the production capacity of PE, PP, PE/PA and PE/PP-based recyclates and their quality. 8,000 tonnes of recyclates were produced on this line in five years.
Innovations play a role in waste management
Currently, the ENVIRO division of the Tatrafan is engaged in waste management. In 2019, it processed approximately 5,200 tonnes of various waste and about 2,860 tonnes of plastic waste on its lines.
It is constantly looking for ways to effectively process mainly plastic waste. In 2021, it worked on two projects – film de-inking and a thermal depolymerization machine. The former resulted in the launch of a film de-inking machine in 2022.