Material help for recyclers on offer from Trinamix
A subsidiary that chemicals group BASF set up in 2015 has said a spectroscopy technology it has developed can help the footwear industry put in place circular solutions for material recycling.
Ludwigshafen-based Trinamix has developed mobile near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy technology that it says can support manufacturers, sorters, recyclers and brands in their efforts to identify the materials in shoes at end of life.
This, the company has said, can enable informed decisions in recycling and circular economy processes. Using NIR spectroscopy technology will improve material separation and quality control tasks, helping footwear companies improve the “recycling readiness” of their products, it insisted.
Modern footwear consists of what Trinamix has described as “complex material combinations and blended structures”. As a result, visual inspection alone is no longer enough to determine the material composition of a shoe. At the same time, it pointed out, regulatory requirements and sustainability targets are driving demand for reliable and traceable material data.
“Material innovation is driving the future of footwear, but it also increases complexity across the value chain,” said circular economy lead at Trinamix, Adrian Vogel. “Our mobile NIR spectroscopy solution provides a practical tool that helps customers increase transparency, minimise risks and enable informed decisions in recycling and circular economy processes.”
The solution combines a handheld spectrometer with a mobile app and a cloud-based data platform. The handheld spectrometer, trinamiX PAL Two, enables fast measurement even in demanding environments, the technology provider has said. The mobile app guides users through the measurement process and delivers easy-to-interpret results, while the customer portal enables documentation, visualisation and traceability of measurement data.
