Extrusion International 3-2026

48 Extrusion International 3/2026 RECYCLING ns at PRSE. In the European Commission’s Novel Tech - nology authorisation process, the joint project – which returns PCR from HDPE milk bottles to the same loop – has reached the next stage. “In order to produce food grade rHDPE in Europe, the recycling process must be authorised in accordance with EU Regulation 2022/1616. Achieving Advanced Novel Technology status marks an important milestone and demonstrates that mechanical recycling can also enable food grade recyclates for polyole ns economically and on an industrial scale,” says Kitzberger. “Importantly, this is not a closed loop system, but input material from mixed household collections.” A deep understanding of the entire process chain – from the selection and preparation of the input ma- terial through to extrusion and decontamination – is crucial for such progress. A specialised food grade team of market experts and experienced chemists translates the respective requirements into suitable concepts. Validated challenge tests as well as internal and external laboratory analyses form the basis for robust material assessments. Experience gained from numerous projects also feeds into the structured sup- port of authorisation procedures, where reproducible results and clear documentation are essential prereq- uisites. High regranulate quality through coordinated processes High-quality regranulate and consistent process ef- ciency in post-consumer recycling require that every stage of the entire plant is coordinated from the out- set. This is precisely where the close collaboration be- tween EREMA and Lindner Washtech comes into play: material preparation, washing and extrusion are de- signed not as individual process stages, but as a seam- less, integrated process. Developments cover several key aspects, ranging from process stability and energy ef ciency to system connectivity. A central lever is data exchange across the entire process chain. Using a jointly developed HMI, relevant process data from material preparation, washing line, extruder and downstream process steps are consolidated in a structured overview. This trans- parency enables targeted process optimisation and throughput oriented plant design. EREMA Group www.erema-group.com The joint project by EREMA, Lindner Washtech and Polymer Matters, focusing on the recycling of HDPE milk bottles, has reached the next stage in the European Commission’s Novel Technology approval process. From right to left: Clemens Kitzberger (EREMA Group) and Michael Cunningham (Polymer Matters) (Photos Credits: EREMA GmbH) www.extrusion-global.com