The trial in Emmen in which polluted and colored polyester waste is made suitable for reuse will not only be followed up, but will be expanded. CuRe Technology’s small-scale pilot plant is being transformed into a larger demonstration plant.
The province of Drenthe and the municipality of Emmen together want to pay almost 9.5 tons for this.
In 2018, the company in Emmen started the trial for the chemical recycling of the waste. In 2021, it was the first to turn waste clothing and carpet waste into usable polyester. As a result, no petroleum is needed for virgin polyester. The company can use heavily polluted and highly colored polyester for the production of PET bottles.
The small-scale pilot plant is now being scaled up to a demonstration plant. It will be built at the GETEC Park in Emmen. The province and the municipality of Emmen want to make 941,500 euros available for this. But that still has to be approved by the Provincial Council and the city council.
According to the parties involved, this is an important step for green chemistry in Southeast Drenthe. The total investments will be around 30 million euros.
At the moment, about nine percent of polyester waste is recycled. For example, colored PET bottles could not be reused. And carpet waste, for example, was also contaminated with other substances. CuRe chops the material down to a molecular level and makes granules from which new polyester can be made.
RTV Drenthe made the following report about the factory in Emmen in 2021: