Let’s start by saying that producing a bottle Of 100% recycled plastic It’s not child’s play.
You too will realize this by watching the video we shot directly in the factory Coca Cola of Gaglianico.
Here, 320 are produced every 9 seconds recycled plastic preformsa sort of “embryonic bottle” which, through a process of saturation and inflation, then takes on the definitive shape of the bottle we all know.
The steps to obtain these preforms are six. For clarity, in the video, we have created some special effectsin order to best show you what happens inside the machinery.
How are recycled plastic bottles made? The PET processing phases
We summarize here, in summary, the six production steps:
Phase 1: Selection Recycled plastic flakes (minimum 95% PET) are scanned by lasers that identify and remove non-PET materials with compressed air. In this way, an almost pure PET is obtained.
Phase 2: Decontamination In this phase, the flakes are first crystallized, bringing them to 135°C for two hours, so as to align the polymers and prepare the plastic for the subsequent steps. Then we proceed with drying at 115°C for three hours, reducing the humidity. Less moisture means a more viscous plastic, ideal for holding carbonated drinks, which require greater strength to retain CO₂.
Phase 3: Fusion The plastic is melted in a vacuum reactor that eliminates harmful gases such as limonene and benzene, respecting food safety limits.
Phase 4: Extrusion The melted plastic passes through a filter and is cut into small pellets, thus obtaining recycled PET.
Step 5: Ventilation The pellets are vented to reduce acetaldehyde, which could alter the taste of drinks; they are then measured to ensure levels are below the legal limit.
Step 6: Print The dehumidified pellets are melted and injected into molds, creating preforms for the bottles.
Every nine seconds, hundreds of preforms are produced, ready to become recycled plastic Coca-Cola bottles.
