Grupa Azoty Compounding, a member company of the Grupa Azoty Group, has completed a project it carried out in Tarnów to construct a new production and storage facility incorporating a recycling unit. The new project allows them to shred by-products (BPs) generated by manufacturing processes of various Group companies, coming from the natural polyamide units in Tarnów and Guben, the polypropylene plant in Police, as well as from external customers. The shredded by-products are utilised as input materials for the production of PIR (Post Industrial Recycled) modified plastics. This initiative will enable Grupa Azoty Compounding to increase the volume of products with a recycled content and foster cooperation with customers in the field of by-products collection. The cost of the project is about PLN 5m.
In addition, by the end of this year, Grupa Azoty Compounding will launch a rooftop solar PV array installed on the production and storage building. The energy harnessed from this solar installation will be directed to power the recycling unit. As part of the project, connections have been made to facilitate future expansion and enhance the production capacity of PIR modified plastics.
The equipment installed in the new production and storage facility includes a by-product grinding and classification unit. By-products are shredded into pieces to the precise size specifications required for compounding various PIR variants. The unit’s operations enable recovery of quality plastics from different processes, including start-up and shutdown of production lines, as well as the classification of such products for subsequent reuse in processing. The primary material stream utilised by the grinding unit consists of by-products from the production of Polyamide 6, modified PA6 and polypropylene. Additionally, there is a secondary stream comprising BPs sourced from customers working with Grupa Azoty S.A. and Grupa Azoty Compounding.
The unit’s maximum capacity is 2 tonnes per hour, which varies depending on the type and form of the BP materials processed.
“At Grupa Azoty, our consistent focus is on maximising the percentage of plastic products that undergo recycling, allowing them to be effectively reused. This commitment aligns with the core principle of the circular economy (CE) concept, which forms an integral part of the Grupa Azoty Group’s Green Strategy until 2030. The construction of the recycling system, preparation of the infrastructure for further expansion and launch the photovoltaic array all exemplify our steps towards aligning production with the current CE standards and the expectations of our customers,” says Tomasz Hinc, President of the Management Board, CEO of Grupa Azoty S.A.
The new facility has been equipped with state-of-the-art equipment used in the shredding process, including crushers, grinding mills, screens, and air purification units.