One of the latest signatories to the Circular Plastics Alliance Plastics is German extrusion equipment and machinery manufacturer Reifenhäuser.
Reifenhäuser CSO Ulrich Reifenhäuser signed the declaration, signalling the company’s commitment to reuse 10 million metric tons of recycled plastics in new products by the year 2025 on 10 March.
Sustainability has long been an issue that has played a role in the company’s strategy and development plans.
In an earlier interview at K 2019, Ulrich Reifenhäuser explained why: “We have a truly enormous waste problem. We need to do something for us now, and for the future of our children.” Pragmatically, he then added that not only was the image of plastics suffering, there was also a growing tendency to replace plastics with other materials, such as paper or wood. “This is not good for our industry, and especially not good for selling machines.”
As a company, Reifenhäuser has developed solutions aimed at creating products that are both recyclable and functional in line with the ambition for a more circular plastics economy. “Our industry is called upon to incorporate plastics into the Circular Economy. We bear co-responsibility to establish collection systems, recycle plastic waste, and minimize production waste,” said Reifenhäuser.
The company has many years of experience and a large network of experts and partners, especially in the field of research and development for recyclable films and films containing recyclate material. Examples include the all-PE stand-up pouches, which are 100 % recyclable and offer excellent barrier properties, and the heavy-duty Exxon bags produced on a 5-layer line, offering a multi-layer-monomaterial solution in which the outer layers are made from virgin material, with a middle layer made from recyclate. Both products were demonstrated in October at K2019
As part of the Alliance, the company will be able to contribute its expertise towards the development of new recipes and processes. “Together with other members of the Alliance, we can research for recyclable packaging solutions at our modern Technology Centre,” said sustainability director, Tim Pohl.