Uflex

Uflex has pioneered the growth of the flexible packaging industry in India. Founded in 1988, Uflex has manufacturing facilities in India and overseas in Dubai, Mexico, USA, Poland & Egypt.

The company, which describes itself as a pioneer in multilayer plastic manufacturing and recycling, says it is scaling up its recycling strength to help build a circular economy. The company has 6 locations in India: Noida (2 locations), Malanpur, Haridwar, Jammu, Silvasa. All are equipped to recycle collected postconsumer PET bottles and multi-layer plastic film and convert them into chips and granules. That output can in turn, be put into further use to make products with economic value.

The combined capacity of all locations is 1500 Tonnes/Month. The following combinations can be recycled:

• PET / Poly 
• BOPP / Poly
• PET / MET PET / Poly 
• BOPP / MET PET / Poly 
• PET / CPP  BOPP / CPP

The company developed the RELAM 250 machine, a recycling machine induced with a technology that allows all types of multi-layered flexible plastics (MLP) bags, carry bags, and more to be recycled homogeneously.

The waste reaches the recycling facility once washed, and then goes through a magnetic separator that detects and removes all metal objects. Next, the Crusher reduces the plastic into smaller pieces. The material is then taken thru a series of friction water, hot water and Alkali wash before the flakes are fed into the flotation tank. 

• The squeezer machine removes the moisture content to less than 1% to enable ease of recycling and granulating. This is the recycling and granulating line where washed post consumer MLP waste is fed. The granules which are formed are cut in a die face cutter into a uniform size.  

The  percentage of virgin plastic and the recycled granules varies depending upon the mechanical and other properties desired of the finished product and typically varies between 25% to 50%.

The yield of the recycled granules post washing and granulating varies from 75% to 95% depending upon the condition of the waste material & contamination like oil, grease, dust, mud & all types of muck which is found in the environment.

The company will open recycling plants abroad soon in Poland, Mexico, Egypt, Hungary, Moscow, USA, Nigeria.