Advocating for a science-based approach

If you’ve worked in plastics recycling, you’ve likely heard of Nextek Ltd. and its NextLoopp initiative.

Nextek is a London-based firm founded in 2004 that provides expertise in designing, optimizing, processing and recycling plastics. In 2021, it launched NextLoopp, a global multiparticipant project designed to address polypropylene (PP) recycling. It uses technologies that include markers to separate food-grade PP and decontamination stages to ensure compliance with food-grade standards in the European Union and United States.

The man behind Nextek and NextLoopp is its founder and CEO Edward Kosior. From 1997 through 2004, Kosior was the senior research and development manager at Visy Plastics, which he says operated the first mixed plastics recycling plant in Australia and was the first food-grade polyethylene terephthalate (PET) recycler. Prior to that, he was the head of plastics and polymer engineering at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) and the director of the RMIT Polymer Technology Centre. Kosior taught, developed courses for technicians and engineers in plastics processing and engineering and researched topics ranging from rubber recycling to multiphase plastics compatibilization to plastics sorting.

Kosior says his career highlights are earning the 2019 Prince Philip Gold Medal for polymers in the service of mankind from the Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining and being selected as the 2022 winner of the Alliance Prize from the Alliance to End Plastic Waste for the COtooCLEAN process, which uses supercritical CO2 to decontaminate plastic films to food-grade quality.

In the following interview, he shares his perspective on plastics recycling.

How has plastics recycling changed over the years?

Recycling of postconsumer plastics has become much higher performance with high purity, greater color control and odor removal. The focus is now on circular applications for recycled plastics. Recyclers are now better integrated into the supply chain.

What lessons have you learned about the industry that have helped you?

All trials and process developments should be performed on full-scale equipment when possible, and all trials should be well-planned and carefully supervised.

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Where do you see opportunities for plastics recycling? What about challenges?

The big opportunities are to displace virgin plastic to meet the targets of the brand owners. The biggest challenge is to be able to deliver consistent food-grade quality to the market.

What misperceptions about plastics recycling generally do you wish you could debunk?

That plastics cannot be economically and technically recycled very many times.

How have equipment suppliers helped advance plastics recycling?

By competitive innovation that accelerated improvements in material separation and recycling. Innovation has been the key driver.

What advice can you offer plastics recyclers entering the industry?

Base your approach on science, engineering and economics. Master these skills. Select your area of expertise and focus on how you can provide the best solutions to the problems facing the recycling industry both now and in the near future. Timing is extremely important. Solve problems that need to be solved.