--- title: "Additives in Action: Enhancing Plastic Recycling" id: "7592" type: "post" slug: "additives-in-action-enhancing-plastic-recycling" published_at: "2025-01-16T15:34:32+00:00" modified_at: "2025-01-15T15:39:21+00:00" url: "https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2025/01/additives-in-action-enhancing-plastic-recycling-007592/" markdown_url: "https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2025/01/additives-in-action-enhancing-plastic-recycling-007592.md" excerpt: "Plastics Engineering spoke with Roberto Nunez, Director of Market Development at Baerlocher USA, about the company’s role in plastics recycling." taxonomy_category: - "Additives & Colorants" - "Building & Construction" - "Circular Economy" - "Compounding" - "Durables" - "Editor's Choice Technical Paper" - "Education & Training" - "Electrical & Electronics" - "Industry" - "Materials" - "Mixing & Blending" - "Process" - "Recyclate" - "Recycling" - "Sustainability" - "Trending" taxonomy_post_tag: - "Advanced Recycling" - "Baerlocher" - "biobased plasticizer" - "James Lloyd" - "NPE" - "PCR plastics" - "PVC" - "Recycling" - "Roberto Nunez" - "Sustainability" --- [Home](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/) » [News](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/news/) » [Materials](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/c/materials/) » [Additives & Colorants](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/c/materials/additives-colorants/) » Additives in Action: Enhancing Plastic Recycling # Additives in Action: Enhancing Plastic Recycling At NPE 2024, Plastics Engineering spoke with Roberto Nunez, Director of Market Development at Baerlocher USA, about the company’s role in plastics recycling.### Plastics Engineering spoke with Roberto Nunez, Director of Market Development at Baerlocher USA, about the company’s role in plastics recycling. Baerlocher is shaping a greener future for the plastics industry through collaboration with partners, technology innovation, and adapting to regulatory changes. The global leader in plastic additives focuses on sustainability and recycling as essential components of its business strategy. The company combines advanced solutions with core values like integrity and excellence to drive meaningful progress in this evolving sector. ****You can also read: [Formulations Target Evolving End-Use Needs](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2023/05/additive-formulations-target-evolving-end-use-needs-000045/)**** ## The Role of Additives in Recycling Additives play a transformative role in improving the quality and performance of post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastics. Recycled polymers often face challenges like degradation from multiple heat cycles during recycling. [Baerlocher’s RST stabilizer](https://www.baerlocher.com/products/polymer-stabilizer/) helps overcome these issues by enhancing durability and maintaining the material’s integrity, even after repeated processing. PVC cable applications. Courtesy of [Baerlocher.](https://www.baerlocher.com/products/polymer-stabilizer/) These additives also reduce imperfections, such as gels, ensuring that PCR plastics perform on par with virgin materials. By integrating additives into advanced recycling technologies, Baerlocher improves material quality and enhances process efficiency, enabling recyclers to achieve better outputs with fewer resources. ## Advancing Recycling Through Collaboration Baerlocher collaborates with brands, recyclers, converters, and machinery manufacturers to advance recycling efforts and foster a circular plastics economy. Its Recycling Summits, held annually in Cincinnati, gather up to 120 participants to exchange knowledge and promote collaboration across the industry. These events feature stakeholders like polymer companies, machinery manufacturers, and brands, emphasizing education, testing innovations, and sharing best practices. By partnering with organizations like Revolution, which recycles agricultural films into reusable products, Baerlocher contributes to developing impactful circular solutions. Brands, recyclers, converters, and machinery manufacturers collaborate to promote recycling initiatives and support the development of a circular plastics economy. ## Addressing Regulatory Challenges Baerlocher proactively develops solutions that meet increasingly strict regulatory requirements while delivering improved performance and recyclability for its customers. Emerging technologies often face compatibility issues when combining different chemistries, creating challenges for recyclers and polymer producers. To address these issues, the company works closely with industry partners to design solutions that balance compliance, functionality, and sustainability. By staying ahead of regulatory changes, Baerlocher helps its customers navigate a complex and evolving landscape effectively. ## Rapid Market Adoption of New Technologies By emphasizing designs for recyclability, the company encourages customers to simplify material structures, use mono-materials, and enhance overall production efficiency. These measures align with the industry’s shift toward creating easier-to-recycle products. ## Driving Trends in Recycling The recycling industry is transitioning from abstract discussions to concrete actions, and Baerlocher is helping accelerate this progress with innovative initiatives. The company promotes designing products for recyclability, simplifying plastic structures, and supporting bio-plasticizer development to meet sustainability goals. For example, Baerlocher has introduced biobased plasticizers for PVC, providing eco-friendly alternatives in traditionally rigid applications. Additionally, projects like producing recycled plastic pallets demonstrate how incremental efforts can collectively drive substantial advancements in sustainability. Baerlocher has introduced biobased plasticizers for PVC, providing eco-friendly alternatives in traditionally rigid applications. Courtesy of Baerlocher. ## Adapting to Market and Regulatory Demands As consumer awareness of plastic pollution and PFAS contamination grows, Baerlocher recognizes the industry must adapt to changing expectations. Public pressure and stricter regulations drive Baerlocher to develop compliant products and ensure transparency in addressing environmental concerns. By offering solutions that align with regulatory requirements and consumer demands, Baerlocher helps customers navigate today’s complex and competitive market environment. ## Looking Ahead: Future Goals and Core Principles Roberto Nunez, Director of Market Development at Baerlocher USA, is retiring after a distinguished career advancing the company’s mission. James Lloyd, the New Business Development Director for the Special Additives Business Unit, will take on the role. Lloyd will champion Baerlocher’s commitment to recycling, continuing Nunez’s efforts to drive sustainable innovation and growth. Also, as Roberto mentioned, Baerlocher remains dedicated to its core principles of respect, integrity, and excellence as it continues advancing sustainability in the plastics industry. Instead of pursuing drastic changes, the company focuses on gradual improvements that preserve its identity while addressing environmental challenges. In the future, Baerlocher plans to expand its recycling efforts, sustain growth, and educate consumers on the importance of sustainable practices. By integrating innovation with responsibility, Baerlocher is helping shape a sustainable future for plastics while maintaining its position as a trusted industry leader. By **[Juliana Montoya](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/author/jmontoyaplasticsengineering-org/)** | January 16, 2025 [https://www.plasticsengineering.org](https://www.plasticsengineering.org) ##### [Juliana Montoya](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/author/jmontoyaplasticsengineering-org/) [Website](https://www.plasticsengineering.org) | [+ postsBio ⮌](#) ### Other posts you could read [April 20, 2026Real-Time Melt Monitoring in Extrusion and Injection Molding](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2026/04/real-time-melt-monitoring-in-extrusion-and-injection-molding-011167/) [April 13, 2026Upcycling PET Through Artificial Photosynthesis](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2026/04/upcycling-pet-through-artificial-photosynthesis-010940/) [March 25, 2026Digitalization: A Tool to Access Industry Knowledge](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2026/03/digitalization-a-tool-to-access-industry-knowledge-010969/) [April 17, 2026Conveying PCR: Reducing Fines, Angel Hair, and Scrap](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2026/04/conveying-pcr-reducing-fines-angel-hair-and-scrap-011052/) [April 10, 2026In Vivo Plastic Waste Upcycling](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2026/04/in-vivo-plastic-waste-upcycling-010935/) [April 6, 2026The Debut of the SPE IMPACT Awards](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2026/04/the-debut-of-the-spe-impact-awards-011102/) [April 6, 2026Thermotropic LCEs Power Soft Robotics](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2026/04/thermotropic-lces-power-soft-robotics-010984/) [April 15, 2026Advancing Sustainable Printed Electronics](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2026/04/advancing-sustainable-printed-electronics-011032/) ### The 2 comments Join the discussion and tell us your opinion. 1. [Salvatore J. Monte](https://4kenrich.com/) says: [January 20, 2025 at 10:29 am](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2025/01/additives-in-action-enhancing-plastic-recycling-007592/#comment-2510) Email from Salvatore J. Monte, SPE Fellow & Honored Service Member – Plastics Hall of Fame See links below on Kenrich’s decade-long effort to Champion Mechanical Recycling: [https://4kenrich.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Ti-AND-Zr-CATALYSTS-IN-THE-MACROMOLECULAR-MELT-REGENERATE-UNFILLED-AND-FILLED-VIRGIN-REGRIND-AND-RECYCLED-PLASTICS-S.J.-Monte-Catalysis-Session-SPE-Polyolefins-2019.pdf](https://4kenrich.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Ti-AND-Zr-CATALYSTS-IN-THE-MACROMOLECULAR-MELT-REGENERATE-UNFILLED-AND-FILLED-VIRGIN-REGRIND-AND-RECYCLED-PLASTICS-S.J.-Monte-Catalysis-Session-SPE-Polyolefins-2019.pdf) [https://4kenrich.com/technical-information/ken-react-caps-kpr-12lv-pellets-and-ken-react-capow-kpr-12hv-powder-americasasia-ken-react-kpr-rezyk-1240-pellets-and-ken-react-kpr-rez/](https://4kenrich.com/technical-information/ken-react-caps-kpr-12lv-pellets-and-ken-react-capow-kpr-12hv-powder-americasasia-ken-react-kpr-rezyk-1240-pellets-and-ken-react-kpr-rez/) [https://4kenrich.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/compatibilizers-whitepaper.pdf](https://4kenrich.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/compatibilizers-whitepaper.pdf) [https://vantagevinyl.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Monte_Kenrich.pdf](https://vantagevinyl.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Monte_Kenrich.pdf) – 135-slide pdf – takes a minute to download. [https://4kenrich.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Advanced-Mechanical-Recycling-of-Vinyl-Using-Nanometer-Titanates.pdf](https://4kenrich.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Advanced-Mechanical-Recycling-of-Vinyl-Using-Nanometer-Titanates.pdf) – 195-slide pdf – takes a minute to download. [Reply](#comment-2510) 2. [Salvatore J. Monte](https://4kenrich.com/) says: [January 20, 2025 at 10:32 am](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2025/01/additives-in-action-enhancing-plastic-recycling-007592/#comment-2511) We have a substantial Additives Technology based on Ti-Al Catalysts/Coupling Agents for Mechanical Recycling in an extruder. See links above. 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