Engineered for EU & North American Standards by Goldensorter
Food-grade PET and Bottle-to-Bottle recycling demand the highest level of material purity, process stability, and trace contaminant control. In Europe and North America, rPET used for food contact applications must meet strict requirements set by EFSA, FDA, and brand owner specifications.
Goldensorter provides a complete, multi-stage PET sorting solution specifically designed for food-grade and bottle-to-bottle PET recycling, enabling recyclers to achieve consistent quality, regulatory compliance, and long-term operational reliability.
1. Whole Bottle Sorting for Food-Grade PET Input Quality
AI-Powered Color & Material Sorting
For food-grade PET and bottle-to-bottle recycling, input quality control at the whole bottle stage is critical. Contamination introduced at this stage cannot be fully corrected later in the process.
Goldensorter whole bottle sorting systems combine AI deep learning, high-resolution color recognition, and near-infrared (NIR) material identification to ensure only qualified PET bottles enter the food-grade recycling line.
Multi-Level Sorting Capabilities
Advanced Color Sorting
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Precise detection of clear, light blue, and colored PET bottles
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Removal of dark, opaque, and heavily colored containers
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Stable color consistency for downstream bottle-to-bottle applications
AI Deep Learning Recognition
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AI-trained algorithms recognize bottle shape, surface features, and label patterns
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Accurate identification of bottles with partial labels, sleeves, or residual contamination
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Continuous self-learning improves sorting accuracy over time
Near-Infrared (NIR) Material Identification
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High-speed detection of non-PET materials such as PVC, HDPE, PP, and PS
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Reliable identification of multilayer and incompatible packaging
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Stable performance even under high throughput conditions
Benefits for Food-Grade & Bottle-to-Bottle Recycling
By integrating color, AI, and NIR technologies, Goldensorter whole bottle sorters:
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Minimize cross-contamination at the earliest stage
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Improve washing and decontamination efficiency
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Reduce PVC and chlorinated plastic risk
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Ensure a clean, traceable PET feedstock
This advanced whole bottle sorting stage establishes the foundation for FDA- and EFSA-compliant food-grade rPET production and significantly increases overall system reliability.
2. High-Precision PET Flake Color Sorting for Bottle-Grade rPET
After washing and size reduction, PET flakes are sorted by color to meet the strict appearance requirements of food-grade and bottle-to-bottle applications.
Goldensorter PET flake color sorting systems precisely separate:
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Clear PET flakes
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Light blue PET flakes
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Dark colors and mixed PET
Key benefits:
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Consistent color output
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Higher value clear PET fraction
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Reduced color variation in final rPET pellets
Color consistency is essential for brand-approved beverage bottles.
3. PET Flake Material Sorting with NIR Technology
Removal of Non-PET Plastics – Model: GID Series
For food-grade and bottle-to-bottle PET recycling, even small amounts of non-PET plastics can cause severe degradation during extrusion and solid-state polymerization.
The Goldensorter GID series uses high-speed Near-Infrared (NIR) material identification technology to accurately detect and remove non-PET contaminants from PET flakes.
Removes:
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PVC and other chlorinated plastics
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PS and incompatible polymers
Why NIR Sorting Matters:
NIR technology identifies materials based on their molecular absorption characteristics, enabling reliable separation of PET from non-PET plastics, even when colors are similar.
Key Benefits:
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Prevents PET degradation caused by PVC
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Protects extrusion and SSP systems
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Improves intrinsic viscosity (IV) stability
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Essential for food-grade PET processing
The GID series provides a clean and stable PET flake stream, forming a critical foundation for high-quality, food-grade and bottle-to-bottle rPET production.
4. Advanced Removal of PET-Like and Low-melting-point Impurities
Model: GIR PRO Series
Bottle-to-bottle recycling requires the removal of materials that visually resemble PET but behave differently during thermal processing.
Goldensorter GIR PRO series identifies and ejects:
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Non-PET plastics
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PET-like and low-melting materials such as:
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PPSU
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Tritan
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PETG
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Why GIR PRO is critical for food-grade PET:
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Prevents melting defects and black specks
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Ensures safe extrusion temperatures
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Supports compliance with FDA and EFSA standards
This technology is essential for high-purity, food-grade rPET production.
5. UV Fluorescence Sorting for Food-Grade PET Quality Control
Recommended Model: GUR Series
For food-grade and bottle-to-bottle PET recycling, visual inspection and NIR sorting are not sufficient. Some PET flakes appear normal but cause yellowing, haze, and processing instability.
The Goldensorter GUR series uses UV fluorescence technology as the final quality control step to remove chemically unsuitable PET flakes.
Removes:
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Oil and detergent bottle PET
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Aged and oxidized PET flakes
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Barrier and additive-containing PET
Why UV Fluorescence:
Under ultraviolet excitation, contaminated or degraded PET shows a different fluorescence response than virgin-like PET, allowing accurate separation that washing, color sorting, and NIR cannot achieve.
Benefits for Bottle-to-Bottle rPET:
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Lower yellow index (YI)
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Improved transparency
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Stable extrusion and SSP processing
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Higher acceptance for FDA and EFSA food-contact applications
The GUR series ensures clean, stable, and food-grade PET flakes, suitable for high-end bottle-to-bottle recycling.
Complete Food-Grade PET Sorting Line by Goldensorter
By integrating:
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Whole bottle optical sorting
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High-accuracy color sorting
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Non-PET material separation
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Advanced PET-like plastic removal
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Fluorescence-based quality control
Goldensorter delivers a fully compliant PET sorting solution for food-grade and bottle-to-bottle recycling in Europe and North America.
