Two highly respected names in the plastics recycling world have joined together to found a new holding company called Blueone Solutions. The two - Erema Group and Lindner Holding - each own a 50 percent share of the new company, with Lindner contributing shares of Lindner Washtech to the merger.
According to a joint statement released by the two Austrian equipment manufacturers, Blueone Solutions aims to leverage both companies’ expertise and jointly execute research projects to fine-tune and optimise the different steps in plastics recycling in pursuit of energy-efficient solutions and consistently high recyclate qualities.
Combining the know-how and experience of Lindner Washtech with that of extruder manufacturer Erema Group, a company that this year celebrated the fact that it has been active in plastics recycling for 40 years, creates a broad base from which to depart. Lindner has manufactured shredders and recycling facilities for the waste management industry for the past 75 years and, more recently, added the Lindner Washtech brand to its portfolio. Lindner Washtech has, over the past ten years, carved out a solid position in the marketplace as a washing facilities specialist.
The companies also know each other well and have previously collaborated on research projects such as the pilot facilities in the LIT Factory at the Johannes Kepler University (JKU) in Linz.
Both are driven by the need for the further development of plastics recycling to ‘significantly increase the added value and set new industry standards’, the statement said.
“As the respective industry leaders, we recognised the need for process optimisation some time ago. Only when waste streams are optimally used can the required quantities of regranulate be made available and only if the processes between the individual recycling steps are perfectly adjusted can an increase in efficiency and quality optimisation be achieved. A functioning circular economy is only possible by merging waste management with recycling management,” said Michael Lackner, managing director of Lindner. "With the merging of the companies, we want to revolutionise plastics recycling and, above all, set new standards in terms of quality, quantity and efficiency.”
By joining forces in Blueone Solutions, the companies will promote the exchange of knowledge and undertake new research projects, enabling the synergies between the two to be exploited. Significant efforts will be devoted to optimising 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. 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,” said Manfred Hackl, CEO of the Erema Group. “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 optimised – thanks to cross-process control & monitoring, supported by digital solutions. In the future, we will offer optimally coordinated all-in-one solutions that will enable our clients to buy a total package that is perfectly tailored to their needs.”
Family-owned Lindner, with production facilities in Spittal/Drau and Feistritz/Drau in Austria, manufactures shredders, system components and spare parts that are exported to almost one hundred countries. In addition to its headquarters in Spittal/Drau and a second production site in Feistritz/Drau, Lindner is also present in Germany, the USA and Asia.
The Erema Group, based in Ansfelden near Linz in Austria, comprises the companies Erema, 3S, Pure Loop, Umac, Plasmac, Keycycle and Plasticpreneur and covers the entire spectrum of mechanical plastics recycling. The recycling solutions developed by the Group are currently in use in 108 countries worldwide and recycle around 21 million tonnes of plastic annually.