Erema: overcoming low oil prices not mission impossible

Austria – With sales reaching Euro 122 million in the 2015/16 financial year for a 20% increase over 2014/15, recycling systems manufacturer Erema of Austria achieved the highest turnover in its history. The other Erema Group brand names – Pure Loop and 3S – together achieved sales of Euro 10 million.

‘Despite circumstances being economically and politically challenging due to the low oil prices, Erema has remained committed to increasing the quality of recyclates and recorded increasing demand especially in the post-consumer sector,’ the company states.

According to Erema’s ceo Manfred Hackl, plastics recycling is no longer ‘just a flowery phrase’ for sustainable production but rather gives companies the competitive edge. ‘Recyclers are turning more and more into producers of raw material who can be successful with recyclates which are customised for the end application,’ he stresses.

The increased use of recyclates in the production of plastics has been boosted by manufacturers of branded products, Hackl believes, pointing to the anchoring of sustainability in the corporate philosophies of companies such as Coca-Cola, IKEA and Phillips.

Other drivers, he adds, include economic and political measures such as the raising of compulsory recycling levels. ‘Clearly, the trend in the plastics industry is towards recycling,’ Hackl asserts.

Erema has some 4500 recycling systems in operation around the globe, together handling 14 million tonnes of plastics every year. The company operates a total of 13 test centres worldwide and another 10 regional centres to provide customers with direct technical support.