Erema Group and Lindner Holding have jointly founded BLUEONE Solutions. BLUEONE will utilize both companies' experience, jointly execute plastic recycling research projects, and aim to create new standards in the recycling industry.
Potential new raw materials pass through several different recycling processes. These range from sorting, shredding, washing, and drying to extrusion, including filtration, compounding, and odour optimization. The challenge for the industry lies in fine-tuning these individual recycling steps – in particular when energy efficiency and high recyclate qualities need to be achieved. Both the Erema Group and Lindner Holding see BLUEONE as a starting point to achieve fine-tuned recycling processes
The know-how and experience of Lindner Washtech will be combined with that of the extruder manufacturer Erema. They aim to significantly increase the added value by adjusting and optimizing processes and conducting joint research projects. The Erema Group has been active in plastics recycling for 40 years. Lindner has established a wide presence with the Lindner Washtech brand as a washing facilities specialist in the past 10 years. Joint research projects, such as the pilot facilities in the LIT factory at the Johannes Kepler University (JKU) Linz, allowed the companies to enter into a close technical exchange years ago.
For a long time now, the two companies have wanted to drive forward plastics recycling. The challenges in the plastics recycling market ultimately led to the founding of BLUEONE Solutions.
Michael Lackner, managing director of Lindner, says that both companies recognized that optimization would be necessary. Waste streams need to be optimally used so that the required quantities of regranulate are available. The individual recycling processes need to be perfectly adjusted to increase efficiency and quality.
"A functioning circular economy is only possible by merging waste management with recycling management," he adds. "Our common goal is clearly to set new industry standards."
BLUEONE Solutions puts the focus on the development of plastics recycling. Lindner contributes its experience in processing waste streams and its expertise in washing, and Erema its know-how in extruding and filtering. In the future, the exchange of knowledge and new research projects will not only enable synergies to be utilized but will also optimize the overall cycle.
"A functioning recycling industry demands a focus on the entire process and value chain from waste collection and processing to recycling and the final plastic product," adds Manfred Hackl, CEO of the EREMA Group. "Thanks to this merger, Erema and Lindner will create a better overall understanding to jointly shape the necessary further development, especially in the polyolefins sector. In detail, the recycling extruder, the upstream washing system, and material handling can be optimally coordinated so that quality standards can be ideally met and energy-optimized - thanks to cross-process control and monitoring - supported by digital solutions."
