Recycling Masterbatches

It solves the three problems that stop recyclate from being used: the base colour is variable and unattractive, the processability has degraded through previous heat histories, and the mechanical properties are below virgin. A recycling masterbatch combines colour that covers the base with additives that restore processing behaviour and consistency, so recycled content can go into a saleable product. See masterbatch for recycled and PCR plastic.

To a point, and the honest answer is that it depends on the shade you want. Deep shades and black masterbatch cover almost anything. Mid-tones are achievable with enough opacity. Clean pastels and bright whites on mixed post-consumer material are very difficult, because you are trying to hide a dark, variable base — that usually needs a cleaner input stream rather than more pigment. Our White Masterbatches page covers the opacity side.

Odour comes from residues and degradation products carried through from the previous life of the material. It is addressed on two fronts: better washing and devolatilisation upstream, and odour-management or fragrance masterbatch additives at the compounding stage to mask or neutralise what remains. Tell us the application — the acceptable approach for a household goods product is different from packaging.

Partly. Antioxidants and heat stabilisers limit further degradation during reprocessing, processing aids improve flow and surface finish, and impact modifiers recover some toughness. What no additive does is reverse chain scission that has already happened. Set expectations against the recyclate you actually have — which is why we ask for a sample of your material rather than a specification sheet. See Additive Masterbatches.

Post-industrial material is factory scrap — known polymer, known history, usually clean and consistent, and much easier to formulate against. Post-consumer material has been through use and collection, so it is mixed, contaminated and variable batch to batch. We design custom masterbatches for both, but the amount of colour and additive correction needed is very different.

That is determined by the regulation applying to your market and by the recycling process used, not by the masterbatch. Where recycled content is permitted, we can supply the colour and additive package for it. Tell us which standard your customer is asking for and we will confirm what we can supply against. See packaging and our certifications.

It depends on the property requirement of the part rather than on any fixed rule. Non-critical, thick-walled and dark products often take high recyclate fractions. Thin-walled, load-bearing, surface-critical or regulated parts take much less. The practical route is to step the ratio up in trials and find where your reject rate turns — and to use a masterbatch to hold appearance steady while you do it. See our sustainability approach.

Yes. Life Color Pigments & Masterbatches is a recycling masterbatch manufacturer in India, based at Vasai East, Palghar, Maharashtra, supplying colour and additive solutions for PCR and PIR material alongside our colour masterbatch, black masterbatch and additive masterbatch ranges. Read more about us or contact us.