Technological watch

Finalists have been announced for the third Plastics Recycling Awards Europe which will be held in early spring.

The winners of the Plastics Recycling Awards Europe 2020 will be announced on the second day of the two-day Plastics Recycling Europe (PRSE) show, which is returning to the Rai in Amsterdam 25-26 March.

The Plastics Recycling Awards Europe are organised jointly by Plastics Recyclers Europe and Crain Communications, organisers of PRSE.

This year’s awards, according to PRE president Ton Emans, have attracted a record number of entries, particularly in the product technology category. 

“The influx of projects… from across the whole value chain including brand owners, raw material producers, machine and equipment producers is a testimony that there is a genuine commitment from all the actors to make plastics circular,” said Emans.

The finalists, said the organisers in a statement, include: 

Automotive, Electrical or Electronic Product of the Year – plastic parts used in automotive and electrical products
•             ABS PCR Monofilament, for industrial and home use, by RE Plano GmbH
•             Birò O2                electric car by Estrima srl
•             Recycle Fan Shroud by Ford Otosan
•             Senseo Eco Coffee Maker by Philips

Building & Construction Product of the Year – interior and exterior construction products of all types
•             GreenMatter outdoor sports furniture by W&H Sports
•             PVC-U range of trunking and conduit systems from Marshall-Tufflex Ltd
•             Ogel Construction System, a modular wall system by Products of Mass Construction Limited
•             The virtuous lifecycle of a PET Bottle, a carrier for bituminous waterproofing membranes by Freudenberg Performance Materials
•             Zedex Sustane, damp-proof course and cavity trays by Berry bpi

Household & Leisure Product of the Year – covering all types of domestic and leisure goods (excluding electricals)
•             “Der Gelbe Sack” – a recycling sack made of ca. 95% recycled post-consumer plastic film by Pakufol ein Unternehmen der Remondis-Gruppe
•             FALK – claimed to be the first design chair in the world to be made from post-consumer plastics – using the innovative recompound Procyclen by Houe Design ApS and Interseroh Dienstleistungs GmbH
•             Innovative PCR compound updates an iconic school chair for the 2020s from Fortum Waste Solutions Oy
•             MbM Europe display systems from Armo Europe Systems
•             RH New Logic office chair by Flokk
•             Salemo lounge set garden furniture by Keter
•             From yoghurt cup to suitcase Samsonite, S’Cure ECO Green Grey Edition by Samsonite Europe NV
•             Sustane Refuse Sack, multi-layer refuse sack from Berry bpi
•             Wham Upcycled storage boxes by What More UK

Plastic Packaging Product of the Year – judged on design innovation with recycled content and design for recycling
•             Circular Eco Line tube with flip top cap by RE Plano GmbH
•             Plastics webshop bag film in 100% recycled material by Oerlemans Plastics BV
•             NestRack Pallet – Cabka’s new nestable and rackable pallet
•             evian (re)new in-home water appliance with a "bubble-like" container 100% recyclable and made with 100% recycled PET by Danone
•             Circular Eco Jar, double wall jars from RE Plano GmbH
•             APET Evolve tray by Færch
•             PET bottle 'Saskia Still' 1.5 litre by Schwarz Produktion – MEG
 

Plastics Recycling Ambassador of the Year – individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to European plastics recycling
•             Julen Rodriguez Sola, CEO of The Gravity Wave
•             Flor Peña Herron, Sustainability Project Manager Europe at Avery Dennison
•             Carlos de Los Llanos, Scientific Director at Citeo
•             An Vossen, Executive Manager of Plarebel 
•             Kim Ragaert, Associate Professor at Ghent University

Product Technology Innovation of the Year – improving recyclable plastic products or incorporating recycled materials in product production
•             Starlinger “circular packaging” technology for Bag2Bag rPP solutions by Starlinger & Co GesmbH
•             ReVive 962 E multi-material packaging films from Ampacet Europe
•             R-Silphan siliconised BoPET production by Siliconature spa
•             Odor Scavenger odour absorber masterbatch from Ampacet Europe
•             CuRe technology that removes polyester colour by CuRe Technology BV
•             Upcycling of polystyrene foam demolition waste containing HBCD through dissolution. The PolyStyreneLoop cooperative bringing the circular economy in action. 
•             CleanFlake Flex technology that facilitates clean PET recycling from Avery Dennison
•             The Circular Shrink Hood technical film with 50% PCR content by Valipac
•             Blue Edge 226 technology that improves the aesthetics of clear flexible rPE packaging by Ampacet Europe
•             “Certified Circular Polypropylene” for consumer food packaging – Magnum and Knorr from Unilever 
•             EcoAllene from Ecoplasteam SpA 
•             Interactive IML label by Verstraete in mould labels, a Multi-Color Company
•             SealPPeel die-cut lidding by Verstraete in mould labels, a Multi-Color Company
•             Self-adhesive label made from 100% PCR PE with wash-off adhesive for hot-wash conditions by schäfer-etiketten GmbH & Co. KG, Herma GmbH and Polifilm Extrusion GmbH
 
Recycling Machinery Innovation of the Year – increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of plastic recycling processes
•             New bottle-to-bottle technology Vacunite from Erema Engineering Recycling Maschinen und Anlagen GesmbH
•             Gel-less film recycling with Mas Technology, film recycling technology by Caroda BV Polymer recovery and MAS Maschinen-und Anlagenbau Schulz GmbH) 
•             Intelligent and dynamically controlled shredder - ready for upcycling, communication technology in the shredder by Lindner-Recyclingtech GmbH
•             GRANUmaster Smart Control, digitalisation of a series granulator by Hellweg Maschinenbau GmbH & Co. KG
•             AMP (Adaptive Motor Power): Highest operation performance and lowest energy utilisation for the production of regrind material from CMG SpA
•             CW Dewiring Machine plastic bale opening technology by Cross Wrap Oy

Judges of the Plastics Recycling Awards Europe 2020 include Gian de Belder, principal scientist and packaging technologist at Procter & Gamble and Plastics Recycling Ambassador 2019. The other judges are Professor Kim Ragaert of Ghent University; Willemijn Peeters CEO of Searious Business and Plastics Recycling Ambassador 2018; Karen Laird, editor of Sustainable Plastics; Rune Thoralfsson, owner and director of Norfolier GreenTec AS and Ton Emans, President of Plastics Recyclers Europe (PRE).