Page 47 - Hub-4 Magazine Issue 78

Recycling News
STADLER designs and installs state- of-the-art light packaging sorting plant for TBM in Yokosuka, Japan
STADLER has designed the facility to automatically sort light plastic packaging and LIMEX, an environmentally friendly, limestone based material developed and produced by TBM. The plant will be part of a collaboration between TBM
and the city of Yokosuka to promote the collection and recycling of plastic waste and LIMEX for the entire city and surrounding areas. TBM also plans to use the plant to develop a pioneering resource recycling model with the aim of contributing to a decarbonized society.
TBM is a Japanese unicorn company founded with the vision to “build on the past to create the future, with innovations to sustain a circular ecosystem lasting for centuries.” It aims to contribute to a decarbonized society through the development of new environmentally friendly materials and new resource recycling models.
TBM’s flagship product is a revolutionary sustainable material, LIMEX. It is an effective alternative to plastic and paper that can be used in the production of a wide variety of products, such as packaging, food containers, shopping bags, and backlit film. It is mainly made of limestone, an abundant resource, and has a water footprint approximately 97% smaller than paper and a carbon footprint up to 40% smaller than plastic on a life cycle basis (depending on the type of plastic). In addition, once
Commissioning at TBM Sorting Plant STADLER and TBM Teams
2 TBM Sorting Plant in Japan
used, it can be recycled to produce new plastic alternative materials. These characteristics have earned LIMEX the Asia- Pacific Stevie Award 2017 in the category of Innovation in Energy & Sustainability.
As part of its strategy to accelerate the use of LIMEX products and reduce consumption of natural resources, TBM commissioned STADLER to design and install a new state-of- the-art sorting plant. The facility uses the latest technologies to separate LIMEX and plastic light packaging, which is recycled into pellets for use in the production of packaging. >
www.hub-4.com January/February - Issue 78
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