Umincorp processes plastic waste streams into pure raw materials for producers of plastic products such as packaging, who therefore use less plastics from fossil raw materials and can thus achieve their recycling targets. The biggest bottleneck in the recycling of plastic household waste is the sorting of different plastic materials that make up the household waste. For this, Umincorp uses both existing and self-developed processes, of which Magnetic Density Separation (MDS) is the most important and self-developed process step.
MDS involves separating plastics in the waste stream using a magnetic fluid. The MDS technology enables Umincorp to recover significantly more plastic than traditional sorting and recycling techniques. This increase in the percentage of recovered plastics is very important in order to meet the European recycling targets. In addition, the process results in recovered plastics with a higher purity. The purer the recycled plastics, the more applicable and more interesting they are as raw materials for high-quality plastic products.
Thanks to Umincorp's MDS technology, less plastic goes into the incinerator and more high-purity plastic is recovered from household waste. This also applies to the PET trays that are difficult to recycle, which often consist of several thin plastic layers. With the new rPET factory, Umincorp is able to create a closed raw material cycle: from plastic to waste to raw material to plastic. Plastic producers are increasingly demanding recycled plastic in order to reduce the use of fossil raw materials. Umincorp will be able to meet this need with this new factory. All these things together result in a substantial CO2 gain of 30,000 tons of CO2 equivalents per year.
Jaap Vandehoek, co-founder of Umincorp:'Our technology has now been proven and offers every opportunity to actually shake up the recycling market. We show that it can be done differently. Upscaling allows us to increase our impact and make a crucial contribution to the recycling challenges. The investment demonstrates confidence in our approach to plastic recycling and helps us take the next step in the rollout in the Netherlands and beyond.'
Wouter Bos, CEO of Invest-NL:'Contributing to a circular economy and using raw materials as minimally as possible is one of our main objectives. With this investment in Umincorp we show that with innovative technology more is possible in the field of recycling, while also realizing a nice environmental benefit through a significant reduction in CO2 emissions.
Invest-NL invests €9 million and makes use of the EIB InnovFin SME Guarantee. Rotterdam circular faster
Rotterdam wants to accelerate the transition to the circular economy – in which waste is transformed into raw materials – and Umincorp wants to develop into a leader in circular plastics. With this, Umincorp is taking the next step in recycling plastics from household waste. Umincorp fits very well within the strategy and circular objectives of the Energy Transition Fund Rotterdam. In economic terms, the profit is also considerable due to the additional activity and additional jobs. In addition to the financial investment, InnovationQuarter, as fund manager of Energietransitiefonds Rotterdam, will support Umincorp's management team where necessary.
Arno Bonte, Alderman for Sustainability of the Municipality of Rotterdam:'Every year millions of tons of plastic disappear into incinerators, which is a shame. That is why we as a municipality are happy to invest in this recycling factory. With this high-quality recycling, we avoid wasting plastic waste and save thousands of tons of CO2. That helps us in achieving our climate goals and in shaping a circular economy in Rotterdam.'
Rafael Koene, fund manager of Energy Transition Fund Rotterdam:'With the innovations and the development of the rPET factory, Umincorp is making a major contribution to the circular economy of the Rotterdam region. Less plastic is burned and a closed raw material cycle is created, resulting in an enormous reduction in CO2 emissions. Umincorp therefore fits in perfectly with the strategy and objectives of the Energy Transition Fund: reducing CO2 emissions and reducing the use of raw materials.'
