Michael Brunn

With Erema India, the two companies expand their presence in a market shaped by rising recycling targets and expanding infrastructure. The subsidiary enables Indian recyclers to access mechanical recycling technologies supported by local service, with a focus on commissioning, technical support and spare parts availability.

Jerschl has more than 20 years of experience in the shredding and recycling sector. His professional background includes activities with established manufacturers such as BHS, Eldan and Vecoplan. During this time, he has been involved in the planning and implementation of individual machines as well as complete turnkey installations for applications including tyres, cables, municipal solid waste, electronic waste and industrial waste.

Ireland's DRS was designed as a fully digital system from the outset. The end-to-end IT solution provided by Sensoneo supports scheme operator Re-turn by managing product registration, container validation, transaction processing and clearing. Centralised data management enables consistent system oversight, accurate deposit handling and scalability as participation increases.

By integrating recycling operations with manufacturing, the facility allows recycled EPS to be processed on site and reintroduced into new insulation products. This approach supports increasing demand for insulation materials containing recycled content and aligns with regulatory developments affecting the construction and packaging sectors.

The certificate confirms that 247 tonnes of post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate have been purchased, processed and sold by Topack. The verified volume is now available for purchase, either in full or in part, via the Kolekt Exchange platform, which was launched in November 2025. The platform has already facilitated certificates in Indonesia and Nepal and is expected to expand to additional markets including Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Kenya and Vietnam.

In the plastics manufacturing industry, at least 50% of total costs are materials—primarily plastic resins—while the remainder is allocated across labor and other operating expenses. According to PLASTICS' 2025 Size and Impact Report, materials accounted for 66.6% of shipments, annual payroll represented 12.7%, and the remaining 20.7% reflected other operating costs.

The survey results are examined in the report Overheated and underprepared, published by the European Environment Agency and the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions. The analysis provides a comprehensive overview of perceived climate impacts across Europe and assesses the implementation of resilience measures at household level, as well as measures observed by respondents at local and regional authority level.

The analysis also finds that a full transition to steel produced via electric arc furnaces could lower the sector's emissions footprint by 38 per cent.

Analysis by Aquapak suggests that the current framework produces inconsistent outcomes, with some plastic packaging formats attracting lower EPR fees than paper-based fibre composites, despite the scheme's objective of reducing plastic use.

The opening keynote will address the restoration of competitiveness in the European plastics recycling sector and will be delivered by the European Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy together with the President of Plastics Recyclers Europe.