The Future Value Chain is Circular

“Demand for plastics in society is on the rise: Plastic materials were long celebrated as remarkable technological achievements with no downsides, but now producers and processors must frequently defend themselves—not only for manufacturing these products and using them, but increasingly also regarding the issue of their recyclability.

Driven by the growing global demand for a circular plastics economy, a clear trend toward increased recycling has emerged in recent years. However, the push to boost the proportion of recycled materials in plastics production is nothing new.

The plastics industry has long been leading the way toward a circular economy. And rightly so—after all, if for no other reason than to shrink the share of plastics in the global carbon footprint, recycling needs to be ramped up, while reliance on fossil resources must be reduced.

To achieve this goal, companies are developing increasingly advanced recycling technologies. Even today, these innovations are enabling the circular use of hard-to-recycle plastics—and even plastic compounds. Chemical recycling won’t replace material recovery, but rather is expected to complement it in a meaningful way.

At every trade show, at every public event, the industry repeatedly showcases milestones on the path toward a circular economy—most recently at IFAT and the Plastics Recycling World Expo, and next at K show.

At Coperion, we believe that plastics will remain indispensable in balancing economic prosperity with ecological responsibility. With the goal of ensuring that plastic recycling is no longer an exception but instead becomes a daily practice, we consistently align our entire range of products and services tailored for the plastics industry toward enabling materials to be used not just linearly, but also in a circular fashion.

Our acquisition of Herbold Meckesheim, along with our recent product innovations, clearly demonstrates our commitment. The new ZS-B MEGAfeed side feeder optimizes the recycling of lightweight and high-volume fibers and flakes, and in some cases, makes recycling feasible in the first place. Additionally, we are currently constructing our Recycling Innovation Center in Niederbiegen/Weingarten, Germany, where customers will have the opportunity to collaborate with our experts in developing and testing new sustainable products and recycling processes.

Even if pressure from users, NGOs, and politicians plays a crucial role in communicating society’s expectations to the industry, ultimately, it is the availability of efficient recycling technology—both economically viable and environmentally sound—that will determine how plastics fit into the circular economy of the future.