Extrusion International USA 4-2022

30 Extrusion International 4/2022 INDUSTRY NEWS  TOMRA continues to play a key role in closing the loop onPETbeverage containers but recognizes that there ismore to be done. Now political framework, bold decisions and smart investments in collecting, sorting and recycling should be used to improve circularity across all material streams and to overcome today’s supply chain bottlenecks. “We have an obligation to work with all stakeholders to reduce the mountains of waste and transform them into the valuable resources they are”, TOMRA’s CEO and President Tove Andersen stated at TOMRA’s press conference held at IFAT. Although there has been considerable progress in re- cycling, the pandemic and the ongoing war in Europe have shown us that there is an urgency to decrease dependency on primary materials. “Today, we invest approximately 10% of our revenues in future-oriented activities to increase re- source efficiency, advancing the market for circular solu - tions, whichwe are well-positioned to do. We have the tech- nology capable of maximizing collection and recovery rates. We can act now, optimize waste management practices and fill existing gaps”, concludes Andersen. Having established benchmarks for climate policy world- wide, the European Green Deal, coupled with binding reg- ulations and guidelines for producers and manufacturers, drive the acceleration to a circular economy. TOMRA urges all participants in the value chain to see these specifications as an opportunity and to support their implementation. “We have learned that mandatory legislation is necessary in order to achieve goals and create markets,” Dr. Volker Rehrmann, EVP and Head of TOMRA Recycling/Mining and Circular Economy, explains. “However, before we can re- cycle larger volumes we need to collect as much as possible. There are well-functioning collection systems in place, but it is still not enough. Every day we lose valuable resourc- es to landfill and incineration where they are buried and burned. This is low-hanging fruit and the material must be collected, recovered and recycled.” “If we leverage the power of intelligent technologies and closely work with the industry, we can turn waste into value and reduce the dependency on primary materials. Re- cycling is a key climate mitigator and energy-efficient route to go when supporting a sustainable transition, keeping materials in continuous use. Whatever it takes to close the loop, we will get there”, said Tom Eng, SVP and Head of TOMRA Recycling. TOMRA Recycling www.tomra.com  The EREMA Group, which comprises EREMA Group GmbH and its subsidiaries EREMA, PURE LOOP, UMAC, 3S, KEYCYCLE and PLASMAC, closed the 2021/22 financial year with a 17 percent increase in revenue. Consolidated Group revenue amounted to EUR 295 million, and the number of employees increased to over 840. The EREMA Group re- mains on course for continued growth. A total of 220 extruders manufactured in Ansfelden were supplied to customers all over the world. If you include indi- vidual components and modules such as filter systems and ReFresher anti-odour technology in that figure, the total was around 320. Then there are another 53 extruders fromPLAS- MAC, the Italian subsidiary. The recycled pellet production capacity of all extrusion systems delivered in financial year 2021/22 adds up to around 1.34 million tonnes per year. A closer look at the post consumer segment clearly shows a trend towards larger plants, both for PET recycling and for processing polyolefins. Demand for previously-owned machines at UMAC also remained high during the past financial year. In addition to the general trend towards plastics recycling, the decisive factor here is that customers are more frequently opting Call for Closing the Loop on Plastics and Beyond Growing Revenues, Plant Sizes and Production Capacities From left: ToveAndersen (CEOandPresident TOMRA), Dr. Volker Rehrmann (EVPandHeadof TOMRARecycling/MiningandCircular Economy) undTomEng (SVPandHeadof TOMRARecycling) ManfredHackl, CEOEREMAGroupGmbH, sums up the year: "This past financial year,weagain set severalmilestoneswithgrowthpowered byour technology.Weare veryproudof this, because theprevailing market conditionswereonceagainvery challengingdue tocorona, cost increases for energy and logistics, and interruptions to the supply chain," is howManfredHackl, CEOof EREMAGroupGmbH, sums up the year.” (Photocredit: EREMA/Wakolbinger)