Development Process to Separate Papers, Polyethylene out of Aluminum Foils…. to Reduce Green House Gas Emissions and Preserve the Overall Environments.
The aseptic packaging or UHT beverage packaging is mostly used for containing milks or beverages in order that they can be stored in the rooms under the room temperatures. This type of packaging, commonly referred to as a UHT carton, is a food container made through sterilization and heating process for a short period of time of approximately 1-2 seconds at the temperature of 135°C. It is also known as Ultra High-Temperature Processing or Ultra-Heat Treatment that can preserve foods for a period from 6 to 9 months.
At present, the UHT beverage packaging are used with a wide variety of food products such as dairy beverages, non-alcoholic beverages such as fruit juices, teas, etc., instant ingredients such as coconut milks, seasoned coconut milk curries, etc. In terms of the containment quantity, dairy beverages account for most usage quantity due to the reason that the demands for dairy beverage consumptions tend to likely increase by 1.62% per year.
The increasing demands for milk consumptions in Thailand obviously show that, the usage quantity of aseptic packaging tends to increase, as well, thus, causing the quantity of papers, polyethylene wastes and aluminum foils to largely increase. For the reason that these packaging are difficult to be biodegradable naturally and are hazardous because they contain the aluminum foils and create a problem of incineration in waste disposal, thus, making it impossible for these wastes to be properly and safely disposed of.
Most of these types of packaging contain papers, polyethylene and aluminum foils in the proportion of 75%, 20% and 5%, respectively, so, the UHT beverage packaging are just recycled which are simply processed into other products such as green roofs, seat mats, awnings, baskets, etc., in order to extend the period of disposal which, finally, these wastes have still consisted of papers, polyethylene and aluminum foils that are still difficult for disposals.
Being aware of such problem, Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESRI), Thailand Institute of Scientific and Technological Research (TISTR), by Expert Center of Innovative Industrial Robotics and Automation (InnoRobot), has successfully developed the “Process of Separating Papers, Polyethylene out of Aluminum Foils” by using organic acid solvent, which TISTR has already submitted an application for the registration of the patent on the separation process and published an academic article for disseminations.
“The Process of Separating Papers, Polyethylene out of the Aluminum Foils” developed by TISTR is uniquely distinctive, i. e., it is a simple, an uncomplicated, and energy-saving technology to protect the environments and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. While the organic acid solvent being used including the equipment used in the process are readily available, cheap, and that the separation conditions are pressure-free and temperature used is only 60°C.
If the component amount of 1,300 tons of UHT beverage packaging should be disassembled, 975 tons, 260 tons and 65 tons would be papers, polyethylene and aluminum foils, respectively. If the components could be disassembled with 80% of them returnable, 780 tons would be paper pulps calculated to be in the value of 9.36 million Baht, 208 tons would be polyethylene calculated to be in the value of 1.04 million Baht and 52 tons would be aluminum foils calculated to be in the value of 1.04 million Baht. Therefore, when summing them up together, the total component amount of 1,300 tons of UHT beverage packaging would worth 11.44 million Baht. The current selling price of the scraps of paper pulps is at 12 Baht per kilogram, polyethylene sheets at 5 Baht per kilogram and aluminum scraps at 20 Baht per kilogram.
If these raw materials should be processed, more value could be added to them. Value of bleached paper pulps could be added up to 40 Baht per kilogram while the polyethylene when melted and molded into recycled plastic pellets could be sold at 32 Baht per kilogram and the aluminum scraps being melted and extruded into the aluminum ingots could be sold for up to 200 Baht per kilogram. Therefore, if the recycling potential at 80% should be assessed, 624 tons of paper pulps, 166.4 tons of polyethylene, 41 tons of aluminum foils, respectively, would remain left over calculated to be in the value of 24.96 million Baht, 5.32 million Baht and 8.2 million Baht, respectively. Thus, the revenue derived from the sales of these processed materials would totally worth 38.42 million Baht…”, said Prof. (Research) Dr. Chutima Iamchotchawalit, Governor of TISTR.
Therefore, if all components of 1,300 tons of milk cartons should be taken apart, processed and channeled into the private and new industrial sector, they would create a total value of 46.61 million Baht (1.44 million Baht from the separation +38.42 million Baht from the process -3.25 million Baht from the cost of milk cartons). If the milk cartons should be sold at a price of 2.5 Baht per kilogram as aforesaid valuated, it would be obvious that the separations of polyethylene and aluminum foils from the UHT beverage packaging could add a concrete value to UHT beverage packaging and is indeed economically feasible and also in line with the concept of BCG Model to recycle useless wastes to become new raw materials.
“The advantage of taking the UHT beverage packaging for recycling is that it can concretely help preserve the environments, especially, in reducing greenhouse gas emissions or reducing carbon dioxide emissions as well as helping to reduce landfill areas and conserve more forest areas or reduce logging. The 1,300 tons of UHT beverage packaging can help reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1,170 tons, save landfill areas by 5,200 sq m, and conserve forest areas by 0.195 sq km,” recapped the TISTR Governor.
For more details of the “Process to Separate Papers, Polyethylene out of Aluminum Foils”, interested persons may contact Expert Center of Innovative Industrial Robotics and Automation, TISTR, at 35, Moo 3, Khlong Ha Technothani, Khlong Ha Sub-District, Khlong Luang District, Patum Thani Province, Tel. 0 2577 9254.
