Buhler Sortex and NRT form partnership

Buhler Sortex, a member of The Buehler Group, London, and Nashville, Tennessee-based National Recovery Technologies (NRT) are entering a strategic commercial agreement to offer plastics recyclers a complete solution for plastic bottle and flake sorting. The move comes, the companies say as the demand for plastic sorting solutions continues to soar. The companies are bringing together more than 100 years of combined expertise in optical sorting giving recyclers access to their proven technologies, engineering expertise and their extensive customer service and support networks. 

A press release from the two companies notes that global plastics production increased by 10 million metric tons to 280 million metric tons in 2011, continuing the 9 percent growth pattern witnessed annually since 1950. Europe and the NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) region together comprise 41 percent of the world’s total plastic materials production, driving demand for integrated bottle and flake sorting solutions as companies strive to meet government recycling targets and corporate social responsibility pledges.

The partnership between Buhler Sortex and NRT marks a further milestone in their continuing expansion in the polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) sorting segment across Europe and North America. The companies offer such technologies as In-Flight Sorting, PET Boost, Label Reduction Kit and Smart-Eject.

Charith Gunawardena, head of optical sorting at Buhler Sortex, says, “This landmark agreement signifies our confidence in the future growth of recycling. It also strengthens our industry references and reinforces our leading role in optical sorting while demonstrating our commitment to providing customers with a complete bottle and flake sorting solution from two trusted leaders in their field.”

With an extensive service support network in all major recycling markets, the companies say plastics recyclers can depend on a comprehensive Buhler Sortex and NRT support network built on solid foundations of technology and service excellence. The network also will provide access to both companies’ wide range of capabilities, including system design, on-site management, installation and product training. Collaboration with key members of the technology value chain is also expected to be part of the partnership.

Matthias Erdmannsdoerfer, president of NRT, says, “This significant partnership agreement is further acknowledgement of our commitment to supply and service leading plastics recyclers with a full portfolio of leading bottle and flake sorting equipment. We’re excited to bring the industry’s first complete offering to market that doesn’t require a plastics recycler to compromise on bottle or flake sorting performance and provides high-quality, local support. We look forward to building a strong partnership with Buhler Sortex and our customers across Europe and North America.”

Further information can be found at www.bottletoflake.com