Alfa Laval launches valve unit recycling return program

Industrial processing plants in food, dairy and pharmaceutical production generate steady streams of end-of-life automation hardware that contain engineered plastics and electronic components. A structured return and recycling route can reduce virgin material demand while maintaining equipment performance. In this context, Alfa Laval has introduced a product return initiative called ThinkCircularity for its ThinkTop valve control units.

Recycling materials from installed valve control units
ThinkCircularity is a take-back program focused initially on recovering plastics from decommissioned ThinkTop units used in hygienic process lines. Each unit contains approximately 500 g of plastic. Trials within the pilot phase showed that this material can be reprocessed and blended with virgin polymer for use in new devices while meeting established performance requirements, including tensile strength and durability.

Beyond plastics, the program also separates and recovers metals and electronic components from returned units through established recycling streams, reducing mixed waste and enabling material traceability within the industrial supply chain.

Link to process upgrades in hygienic industries
The return scheme is linked to ongoing equipment upgrades in sectors with strict hygiene and resource efficiency targets. In cleaning-in-place (CIP) systems, upgraded ThinkTop control units can reduce water and energy consumption by up to 90% during cleaning cycles, creating a natural replacement cycle for older hardware. These replaced units form the feedstock for the recycling program.

In Norway, the distributor Skala has implemented the return scheme for customers in hygienic processing. Several hundred used units have already been collected and routed into the recycling loop, demonstrating logistical feasibility at regional scale.

Material performance and reuse strategy
Testing during the pilot phase focused on verifying that recycled plastic content does not compromise mechanical integrity or service life in new control units. The validated material mix meets the same functional requirements as previous designs, enabling closed-loop use of polymer components in automation hardware exposed to washdown environments.

This approach aligns with broader efforts to design long-life industrial equipment while planning for end-of-life recovery. By integrating take-back logistics with product design and material selection, the program moves toward a more circular model for process automation components used in hygienic manufacturing.

Expansion beyond the pilot phase
The initiative has so far been introduced in selected European countries as an initial step toward wider circularity measures. Experience from the pilot is being used to refine collection methods, recycling partnerships and material processing routes that could be applied to additional product families in the future.

www.alfalaval.com