Plastics recycling technology firm invests in Austrian startup Plasticpreneur.

Erema Group GmbH, Austria, has acquired a 19.8 percent stake in Plasticpreneur GmbH, which Erema describes as an Austrian startup company founded two years ago that makes reprocessing systems for plastic scrap that are mobile and can be operated with minimal training.

In the two years since it was founded, Plasticpreneur has sold 330 machines to customers in more than 70 countries, according to Erema. Plasticpreneur also makes application-specific, custom-built molds designed to comply with individual customer specifications.

“The young founders and their dedicated team exude pioneering spirit, want to shape the future with their work and put their heart and soul into the circular economy and plastics recycling, just like we do in the Erema Group!,” says Erema CEO Manfred Hackl regarding Plasticpreneur.

Plasticpreneur systems may help bring plastic reprocessing technology to more remote and poorer regions of the world, according to Erema. This leads to the discarded material being incinerated or disposed of in landfills, rivers and the surrounding environment. “Our mission, ‘Another life for plastic, because we care,’ is also aimed at supporting these regions with solutions for plastic recycling, and with Plasticpreneur we have found the ideal partner for this,” Hackl says.

The start-up company’s machines can process high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polylactic acid (PLA), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) separately, according to Erema. Plasticpreneur’s product range includes a shredder, an injection molding unit, an extruder unit to make end products, air filters and custom-built molds.

“For our machines to be used in regions with little infrastructure, they must be easy to operate without prior knowledge,” says Sören Lex, CEO and co-founder of Plasticpreneur. “The fact that we also develop end-product solutions needed locally makes our range of services particularly attractive here. As soon as recycling also becomes a source of income for the operators, they become entrepreneurs.”

Lex continues, “That explains the name of the start-up, a word created from ‘plastic’ and ‘entrepreneur.’ Plasticpreneur customers in these countries include social enterprises and operators of refugee camps, where everyday consumer goods—from clothes pegs and school supplies to toys and fence posts—are produced and sold using plastic [scrap]. This means that the added value stays local.”

Erema says the demand for Plasticpreneur machines also is increasing in industrialized countries. That demand is coming from educational institutions and organizations who use them to raise awareness of the need for a circular economy in workshops and to give pupils as well as adults a better understanding of plastic recycling.

Erema says other buyers also include customers who are developing new end products made from plastic scrap. Small companies, product designers and developers are a steadily growing customer segment, according to the two companies.

The testing revealed that the company’s monomaterial polypropylene pouches and rollstock can be sorted into appropriate recycling streams.

Mondi, a global packaging and paper producer with headquarters in Austria and the United Kingdom, has completed a series of tests to prove its monomaterial polypropylene (PP) pouches and rollstock material can be sorted into their appropriate recycling streams. Implemented in collaboration with the National Test Centre Circular Plastics (NTCP) in the Netherlands, these tests, simulating realistic packaging waste management conditions, were designed to determine the sortability of Mondi’s recyclable PP packaging.

According to a news release from Mondi, the company tested premade retort and standard pouches, spouted pouches and top-web and thermoformed semirigid tray material. These are made from PP and used for demanding applications that require a high barrier protection, such as wet pet food or processed meat.

Replicating real-life scenarios, the tests revealed that Mondi’s top web and thermoformed semirigid trays are successfully sorted into the correct recycling stream. Mondi’s premade pouches also were detected accurately, setting the standard for sorting streams, which still need to be developed throughout Europe, supporting high-quality input for plastic recycling processes.

“We conduct independent tests and experiments that contribute to closing the plastics cycle,” says Marcel van Eijk, research and development manager at NTCP. “By replicating real-life situations for Mondi, we were able to thoroughly assess the sortability of its packaging products. We could prove that top-web and tray combinations can be recognized in different sorting streams and Mondi’s standup pouches support sorting strategies that need to be developed and implemented at larger scale.”

Thomas Kahl, channel manager of fast-moving consumer goods & industrial at Mondi Flexible Packaging, says to achieve the plastics recycling targets defined in the European Commission’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive, sortation and recycling of plastic scrap must be “significantly improved.”

“As a market leader, we are strongly committed to contribute to this target by testing the sorting performance for our packaging,” Kahl says. “The outcome of the tests show that our monomaterial polypropylene packaging is recognized and categorized into the correct sorting stream in advanced waste management facilities. We are particularly proud that we also succeeded for demanding applications, such as retort wet pet food pouches.”

The tests are part of the company’s Mondi Action Plan 2030 sustainability commitments to deliver circular-driven solutions with innovative packaging and paper solutions, keeping materials in circulation and preventing waste. Mondi has pledged to make all its packaging and paper solutions reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025, working closely with cross-value chain collaborations, such as the Circular Economy for Flexible Packaging and 4evergreen, to eliminate unsustainable packaging and develop harmonized designs for recycling or circularity guidelines.

The new system at Recyclus’ Wolverhampton, West Midlands, site will enable the battery recycler to test and grade batteries to determine whether to recycle or repurpose them.

Technology Minerals Plc, the first listed United Kingdom company focused on creating a sustainable circular economy for battery metals, has announced that its 49-percent-owned battery recycling business, Recyclus Group Ltd., has received three lithium battery (LIB) testbed systems designed to measure a range of different battery chemistries of different sizes at its Wolverhampton. West Midlands, site. 

The LIB testbeds give Recyclus the ability to test the effective capacity of battery packs from a range of electric vehicle (EV) and industrial usages as well as test for degradation or damage at the cell level. By charging and discharging batteries to measure capacity and capture stored energy, the testbeds also can measure a variety of other critical performance test criteria. The ability to discharge stored energy unlocks future opportunities to feed energy back into the national grid and for use on-site. 

“This testing capability is another key development for Recyclus designed to create an additional potential new revenue stream by unlocking more of the value-chain in the battery circular economy,” Chairman of Technology Metals Robin Brundle says. “We are constantly exploring new avenues to expand under our circular economy strategy, and this represents a significant milestone for us in developing our capability for recycling and reuse of batteries, and our ability to harness otherwise wasted energy. Implementing these systems into our process will help to maximize the lifespan of batteries and minimize energy waste.” 

This testing capability enables Recyclus to grade batteries and access the reuse market for batteries alongside recycling. The tested battery packs will be sorted into one of three categories: the first is suitable for reuse as they are, the second group is defective and needs to be recycled and the third group is a split, with some cells being retrievable and others not. It creates an opportunity for Recyclus to send suitable batteries back into alternative, repurposed applications, depending on their condition and test results.  

With U.K. government estimating that nearly 28 million EVs could be on U.K. roads by 2035, a substantial number of battery cells are likely to reach end-of-life that is suitable for reuse in different applications representing a significant market opportunity beyond recycling.  

“Developing this function will allow us to work with manufacturers to increase the amount of carbon offset from the batteries’ production by extending their working life through repurposing into alternative applications, supporting the transition to net-zero, and supporting future and current legislative targets,” Recyclus Senior Battery Engineer Jonathan Regan says.

The agency says the company repeatedly exposed workers to chemical hazards and proposes $311K in penalties.

Federal workplace safety inspectors determined that TAV Holdings Inc., an Atlanta company that provides , exposed workers to hazardous chemicals without warning them of the risks. This is the third time since 2019 that the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited the company for similar violations.  

The inspection of TAV Holdings Inc. by OSHA in 2021 resulted in the issuance of citations for exposures to lead and cadmium. They were also cited for a failure to provide employees with safety data sheets, training and a chemical list for materials. This includes mineral spirits, hydrochloric acid, Vytaflex, Cal Floc 1516, oxygen, propane and diesel fuel.

Earlier in 2021, the agency issued citations for similar violations at the company’s Greenville, South Carolina, site and in 2019 at the Atlanta facility.  

OSHA proposed $311,934 in penalties after identifying three repeat offenses and 28 other safety and health violations in a recent investigation. OSHA says TAV Holdings failed to:  

install a fall protection system around unprotected sides of a pit;  

keep exit routes unobstructed and post signs along obscured exits to show the correct routes;  

specify techniques to isolate energy sources on machines within the energy control procedures;  

train employees on hazardous energy sources for equipment;  

provide guarding on rotating parts and ingoing nip and pinch points on a drill press and conveyer;  

mark electrical panel circuits to indicate their purpose and enclose an electrical control panel;  

provide audiometric testing or annual training on hazards associated with high noise levels and provide hearing protection to some employees; and  

conduct annual training on the use of respirators and fit tests for employees.  

"TAV Holdings Inc.'s repeated disregard for workers' safety is inexcusable, especially after our previous investigations identified the serious risks involved," says OSHA Area Office Director Jeffery Stawowy in Atlanta-West. "They have a legal obligation to provide their employees with a safe and healthy workplace."  

During the Atlanta on-site visit, OSHA inspectors found that Atlanta's XL MachineWorks LLC, a metal fabrication contractor employed at TAV Holdings, failed to train its employees on how to safely operate forklifts and properly anchor a bench grinder. The contractor also failed to guard a lathe machine and improperly used extension cords to power equipment. For these violations, the agency proposed $11,188 in penalties to XL MachineWorks.  

The current investigation was initiated after receiving a referral from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. OSHA says the companies have 15 business days from receipt of their citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.  

Recycling Today has reached out to TAV Holdings and the U.S. Department of Labor for further comment. 

The funding is available through Susan Harwood Training grants.

The U.S. Department of Labor has announced $11.7 million in Susan Harwood Training Grants to support training and education for workers and employers. The goal is to help identify and prevent workplace safety and health hazards.  

Administered by the department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the grants will target disadvantaged, underserved, low-income and other hard-to-reach, at-risk workers and employers. The grants are available to nonprofit organizations, including community-based, faith-based, grassroots organizations, employer associations, labor unions, joint labor/management associations, Indian tribes and public colleges and universities.  

Applicants may apply in the following categories:  

Targeted Topic Training: support educational programs that identify and prevent workplace hazards and require applicants to conduct training on OSHA-designated workplace safety and health hazards;  

Training and Educational Materials Development: support the development of quality classroom-ready training and educational materials that identify and prevent workplace hazards; and,  

Capacity Building: allow organizations to develop a new training program to assess needs and formulate a plan for moving forward to a full-scale safety and health education program, expanding their capacity to provide occupational safety and health training, education and related assistance to workers and employers.  

Those interested should submit applications by August 1. Applicants must register at www.grants.gov and the System of Award Management to apply.  

The department says the grants honor the legacy and work of Dr. Susan Harwood who developed workplace safety guidelines for benzene, formaldehyde, bloodborne pathogens and lead in the construction industry. Harwood was also the primary author of OSHA's cotton dust standard, which virtually eliminated byssinosis, a lung disease that causes asthma-like symptoms among textile workers.