Winners of the Plastics Recycling Awards Europe 2023 announced in Amsterdam

The winners of the Plastics Recycling Awards Europe 2023 were announced at the Plastics Recycling Show Europe in Amsterdam.

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The seven category winners exemplify the advances in the circular use of plastics in today’s products, as well as the recycling innovation and technology that are enabling this progress. They are:

• Automotive, Electrical & Electronic Product: Electrolux 700 GreenZone MaxiSpace fridge freezer by Electrolux and Coolrec
• Building & Construction Product: Ridgidrain by Polypipe Civils & Green Urbanisation
• Household & Leisure Product: Gardena Eco Line by Husqvarna Group
• Plastic Packaging Product: Container for fertilizer made of recycled plastics by PreZero Polymers GmbH, Kunststoff Recycling Grünstadt & Compo GmbH
• Product Technology Innovation: Avient Color Prediction Service by Avient Corporation
• Recycling Machinery Innovation: Two-stage process for more energy efficient plastics recycling by ENGEL Austria GmbH
• Plastics Recycling Ambassador: Manfred Hackl from EREMA Group GmbH

The winner of the Automotive, Electrical or Electronic Product is the Electrolux 700 GreenZone MaxiSpace fridge freezer, featuring Coolrec’s High Impact Polystyrene (HIPS) recycled polymer. The judges acknowledged this is an outstanding example of today’s evolving use of high quality recycled plastic.

In the Building & Construction Product category the winner is Ridgidrain by Polypipe Civils & Green Urbanisation, who have successfully paired community action with circularity. A “wash & squash” campaign within the local community where Polypipe manufactures Ridgidrain has helped the company to source high quality post-consumer waste from HDPE milk and bleach bottles.

In the Household & Leisure Product category, covering all types of domestic and leisure goods, this year’s winner is Husqvarna Group’s Gardena Eco Line high-quality gardening tools made with recycled materials, which bring a new meaning to sustainability in the garden.

This year’s winner of the Plastic Packaging Product category, a fertilizer container made of recycled plastics by PreZero Polymers, Kunststoff Recycling and Compo evidences today’s advances in the circular use of plastics, even in technically challenging applications. Made from high quality recycled plastics from household waste, every part of the multi-part container can also be recycled after the labels are easily removed.

Avient Corporation is the winner of the Product Technology Innovation award with its Avient Color Prediction Service. The judges were particularly impressed by its potential to open the door to the use of plastic recyclates in an increasing range of aesthetic applications. The Color Prediction Service can digitally illustrate the colour possibilities or limitations of certain types of post-consumer recycled (PCR) material, simplifying the colour decision-making process during product development and launch.

The winner of the Recycling Machinery Innovation award is ENGEL Austria for its two-stage process for more energy efficient plastics recycling, a brilliant example of how technological advances are improving the efficiency and circularity of plastics manufacturing. ENGEL’s new two-stage process eliminates granulation from the plastics recycling process, as regrind is processed directly in the injection moulding machine in the form of flakes.

This year’s winner of the coveted Plastics Recycling Ambassador is Manfred Hackl, CEO of EREMA Group, described by the judges as the face of the industry’s technology leader.

The winners received a trophy, with a 3D printed base made from 100 % recycled ABS plastic car dashboards and the multi-colour top which is laser cut from compressed HDPE beach clean-up bottle caps.

“We’ve seen the number and quality of the submissions rise significantly again this year. It’s very encouraging to see the growing use of recycled content in more and more products,” said Ton Emans, President of Plastics Recyclers Europe. “These awards exemplify how well everyone from major brands and material producers through machinery makers are collaborating to improve recycling throughout the plastic value chain.”

“In the six years these awards have been running, it has been so pleasing to follow the advances that are being made in the recycling of plastics for high quality, branded consumer goods in everyday use,” said Matt Barber, Global Events Director, Crain Communications. “Congratulations to all seven of our winners.”

The Plastics Recycling Awards Europe are organised jointly by Plastics Recyclers Europe and Crain Communications, organisers of PRSE. FIMIC SRL and EREMA Engineering Recycling Maschinen GmbH are platinum sponsors of the 2023 Awards.

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