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The amount of electric and electronic products placed on the market in the EU by
the end of the year is expected to be some 12.5 million tonnes. All of these prod-
ucts will eventually become waste and a sizeable portion – roughly 20% – consists
of many different types of plastic. Dealing with this challenge is the specialty of
MGG Polymers, part of the Müller-Guttenbrunn Group in Austria. Plastics recycling
specialist Chris Slijkhuis shares the latest developments.
cled plastics,’ Slijkhuis recalls. A cool-
er example is limited edition
Terminator-inspired sunglasses made
with PCR plastics from e-scrap this
March, fittingly named ‘I’ll Be Back’.
‘To be fair, a lot of people still focus
on the aesthetic look and feel of plas-
tics alone – not their sustainability cre-
dentials. But this is slowly changing.
Since our material is suited to high-
tech applications, we are hoping to
help speed up the progress.’
Producers versus
consumers
Polypropylene is a cheaper alternative
to more expensive tech-plastics, which
makes it attractive for electronics pro-
ducers and consumers wanting to
save money. ‘There is a lot of this type
of material available on the market,’
Slijkhuis observes.
Speaking of consumer awareness of
recycling, he cites a recent street sur-
vey conducted in Brussels as part of
R&D project PolyCE, in which passers-
by were asked to say how much recy-
cled content is present in modern-day
electronics. ‘It was a social experiment
to see what consumers think and if
they’re on the right track.’
The e-scrap plastics waste stream has
changed significantly in recent years.
‘We encounter far less acrylonitrile
butadiene styrene (ABS) and polysty-
rene than a decade ago,’ says Chris
Slijkhuis, commercial general manager
of MGG Polymers. The company pro-
cessed approximately 55 000 tonnes
of e-plastics in 2019, ranging from
black plastics to pristine-looking
white.
‘We can handle all shades of plastics,’
Slijkhuis asserts. ‘We’re operational
pretty much 24/7 and we’re always
looking to expand our activities and
take on new recycling challenges.’
HoPe for Pc/ABs
MGG’s plastics recycling plant in
Kematen is said to be the first in the
world able to produce post-consumer
recycled (PCR) PC/ABS, which repre-
sents roughly 10% of contemporary
e-waste plastics mix. ‘There are not
many recyclers that know what to do
with this material. It’s an expensive
plastic that looks very polished and
stylish, making it popular amongst
manufacturers. But it is very difficult to
separate and process.’
MGG Polymers is working with several
leading producers and telecom pro-
viders to promote the use of recycled
content. For example, the recycler
created a line of plastic casings for
speakers and other gadgets. ‘We also
helped a French telecom provider to
launch a new modem made with recy-
I’ll be back… as sunglasses. ‘What better way to prove the power of plastics than by creating a memorable recycled product?,’ says
Chris Slijkhuis.
THe sunny side of scrAP
Environmental protec-
tion is a top priority at
the Müller-Guttenbrunn
Group every single day.
For this reason, the fam-
ily-owned company has
recently embarked on
an important new proj-
ect: building the largest
photovoltaic system in
the Amstetten district.
The solar panel struc-
ture was commissioned in April ‘just ahead of the good sunny season’, says
Chris Slijkhuis. It has been installed on the roof of the MGG Polymers plant
in Kematen, giving the space a sensible and sustainable purpose. With more
than 2 500 photovoltaic modules, it is one of the largest solar panel sites in
Lower Austria and can achieve an output of 788 kilowatts peak.
The Kematen team is proud that 100% of the electricity required to power
day-to-day operations is now obtained from sustainable sources. Other sites
will receive solar panels before the end of the year, bringing the group’s
total capacity to two megawatts peak. ‘What better way to enhance recy-
cling even further than using the power of the sun?’ Slijkhuis asks with a
smile.
A U T h o r Kirstin Linnenkoper
Rising to the e-scrap
challenge
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