Extrusion International 5-2025

70 Extrusion International 5/2025 RECYCLING Well Underway Despite Challenging Market I n a market environment that faces economic uncer- tainty, the EREMA Group maintains its position as a leading provider of plastics recycling solutions. The Group's installed systems and components enabled the recycling of around 26 million tonnes of plastic waste worldwide during the nancial year 2024/25, which closed at the end of March. Group revenue reached EUR 330 million. Economic and geopolitical uncertainty around the world continues to present challenges for the plastics recycling industry. Despite a decline in sales of around 13 per cent compared to the previous year, the EREMA Group has maintained stability and set an important strategic course for the future based on its strong mar- ket presence. The technologies and solutions offered by the compa- nies in the EREMA Group mean that it covers the entire value chain of mechanical plastics recycling. "By com- bining our expertise, together we ensure our customers remain competitive in a dynamic market environment," says Manfred Hackl, CEO of the EREMA Group. This is a success factor that is re ected in the broad range of prod - ucts, as well as in high system availability and the quality of service provided by the Group. Despite the current challenges, there is still plenty of potential for growth, as Manfred Hackl explains: "More and more high-qual - ity products are made from recycled pellets. The plastics industry has recognised that the proportion of recycled materials used in new products needs to continue to in- crease in order to achieve our shared goal of circularity." While the European market has been subdued, the Group experienced positive momentum in North Amer- ica and Asia. Regulations such as the PPWR (packaging and packaging waste directive), which has come into force in the EU, also give a positive outlook in Europe, provided that competitiveness can increase again. "This would mean launching initiatives that combine ecologi- cal and economic interests and strengthen the industri- al base, like the Clean Industrial Deal in the EU. Just as important are global developments that create reliable framework conditions, such as the rollout of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and legal requirements for mandatory use of recycled materials in new prod- ucts," says Manfred Hackl. Recently, the EREMA Group has noticed a reluctance to invest in the polyole ns post-consumer segment. On the other hand, demand for recycling solutions for production waste and bottle-to-bottle applications has remained stable. There is a clear trend towards imple- menting larger-scale machines in both the PET and PO sectors. The increasing industrialisation of these sec- tors requires solutions that are cost-effective and can be easily adapted to meet demand. The EREMA Group supports its customers during this transformation pro- cess and continues to set standards in the industry. The joint venture with Lindner Washtech has proven to be an important development in providing ef cient overall solutions along the value chain. The ongoing growth of plastics recycling can be seen not only in the established segments, but also increas- ingly in newer application segments involving chemical recycling, and bre & textile recycling. EREMA started Production of an extruder screw at 3S. The Group's own component manufacturing company increases the proportion of key components manufactured inhouse as a result of strategic investments Manfred Hackl, CEO of the EREMA Group (right) and Horst Wolfsgruber, CTO of the EREMA Group (Photos credit: EREMA Group GmbH)