Extrusion International 1-2026

14 Extrusion International 1/2026 INDUSTRY NEWS Successful Triple Finnish circular-economy pioneer Syklo Oy is relying on the expertise of Leistritz Extrusionstechnik to expand ist re- cycling capacities. The Nuremberg-based compounding spe- cialist is supplying three cacade extrusion lines that signifi - cantly increase the efficiency of recycling HDPE, PP and LDPE from post-consumer waste streams and can boost Finland’s plastics recycling capacity by up to 50%. In close collaboratin with technology partner NGR – Next Generation Recycling- machinen, state-of-the-art systems are being created that set new standards in energy efficiency and material quality. At the new Circular Economy Hub in Hyvinkää, the three re- cycling extrusion lines process mixed post-consumer plastics from household and commercial waste. At the heart of each line is the Leistritz ZSE twin-screw extuder with MAXX technology. In combination with NGR’s C-GRAN cutter-compacter-extruder solution, the material is first compressed and homogenized before be - ing compounded and refined using Leistritz’s twin-screw technology. „With the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regula- tion (PPWR) coming into force in August 2026, the require - ments for plastic packaging are rising significantly – from mandatory recycled content to extended producer re- sponsibility and stricter material specifications. For us, this means that recycling must become more efficient, more precise and even more sustainable. At the same time, re- cycled products must meet substantially higher quality de- mands,“ explains Teemu Koskela, CEO of Syklo. „Thanks to Leistritz’s innovative twin-screw technology and decades of expertise, we can now reliably meet these challenges. With Leistritz as our partner, we are fully pre- pared for the upcoming regulatory requirements and can offer our customers high-quality, color sorted and sustain- able recyclates,“ says Teemu Koskela. He adds: „Another unique feature of our new Circular Economy Hub is the ful- ly closed water loop on site: the wastewater will be distilled and reused in the recycling process. The separated sludge containing microplastics will be dried, preventing the re- lease of any microplastics into water bodies.“ High-quality, efficient, precise, sustainable In the first stage of the recycling process, the material is optimally prepared fort he subsequent upcycling step in the Leistritz twin-screw extruder. This second compound- ing stage is crucial, as targeted additive dosing produces high-quality recyclates that can be used in demanding plastic products – such as PO films. Thanks to high-perfor - mance devolatilization, volatile impurities are effectively removed, which is essential for applications with high pu- rity requirements. Expertise driving the circular economy The project exemplifies successful strategies for a sustainable future: high-quality recyclates with stable mechanical properties can be produced – tailored to the needs of a circular plastics industry. The combination of recycling and compound- ing demonstrates how premium recyclates can be created even from highly variable feedstock qualities. As a result, stringent requirements for purity and mechanical stability can be met, for example for PO films or high-quality injection- molded components. Syklo Group www.syklo.com Leistritz Extrusionstechnik GmbH https://extruders.leistritz.com/en/start Three expert companies – one goal: superior recyclate quality: Roberto Freire Matteucci, Daniel Nagl (Leistritz), Teemu Koskela (Syklo Oy), Josef Hochreiter, Stefan Lehner (NGR) (Pictures ©Leistritz) Optimum melt quality, process reliability and high-quality recyclates even with fluctuating feedstock: Leistritz Inline Elongational Rheometer