Michael Brunn

The demand for sustainable solutions in packaging has never been higher, particularly in the food industry, where consumers are increasingly drawn to products that promise environmental responsibility. This trend has sparked a significant shift towards paper-based packaging, driven by both market forces and regulatory imperatives.

Around 60,000 tonnes of technical thermoplastics (PA, PC, PBT, ABS, PC/PBT, PC/ABS, PBT/ASA, PP etc.) are produced annually at the Krefeld and Doberlug-Kirchhain sites on 18 production lines. These products are mainly used in the automotive industry, in the electrical and household appliance industry and in the construction industry. Almaak International is certified according to

Since 1930, Lely Environnement, a French family-owned company, has been offering its services for the collection, transport, processing, recovery, and recycling of waste from industrial waste (C&I).

After graduating with a degree and studies in broadcast and spending his formative years in media and marketing, Polite transitioned to a career in sales with Penske Truck Leasing. There, he honed his skills across transactional sales and long-term leasing agreements during a successful 10-year tenure. Most recently, he served as Executive Director of Business Development at XOS Trucks, a pioneering startup specializing in commercial electric vehicles.

FEAD fully supports the need for financial incentives to achieve the shared priorities outlined in the Competitiveness Compass, particularly through the proposed Competitiveness Fund. Financial incentives are crucial to drive investments in innovation and sustainable practices and this must include the circular economy objective of the new Commission.

After two years of extensive research, tExtended is now entering the second phase of work. The project continues developing its Conceptual Framework, a knowledge-based solution that targets quality retention. tExtended is also preparing to test it in an Industrial-Urban symbiosis collaborative real-scale demonstrator, to show its potential to reduce textile waste by 80%.

ECOSWEEE emphasises the importance of engaging retailers as key facilitators, and prioritising user convenience to create sustainable, scalable collection models. A combination of incentives, as opposed to one single incentive, is more effective in collecting more end-of-use items. Incentives can stimulate participation but are never the sole success driver - infrastructure, demographics, and legislation have a strong impact too.

This product is characterized by its special magnetic properties and low core losses, which are crucial for energy-efficient motors, generators, and applications in the electromobility sector. The annealing and isolating line is designed for an annual capacity of 200,000 tons and processes electrical steel strip in widths of up to 1,350 millimetres and thicknesses of between 0.20 and 1.00 millimetres at a process speed of up to 150 meters per minute. The strip treatment process comprises a precise heat treatment in which the cold-rolled strip is first cleaned and subsequently recrystallized. Thereafter, a layer of insulating varnish is applied to ensure optimal electrical properties. As a result, tkSE will be able to meet the growing demand for high-performance electrical steel strip and strengthen its role as a pioneer in sustainable and energy-efficient processes and products for the future.SMS group supplied the complete strip processing line from a single source: In addition to mechanical equipment, process engineering and electrical and automation systems, SMS subsidiaries supplied furnace technology from Drever, an induction heating system for the furnace from Elotherm, and an automated coil transfer system from Amova.The technological core of the line is the combined heat treatment and coating process. The Drever furnace features a patented rapid heating system that attains temperatures of up to 1,100 degrees Celsius. A combination of natural gas-fired radiant tube zones, inductors from Elotherm, and electrically heated zones is used to precisely control the annealing process and optimize the microstructure of the electrical steel strip. For example, materials with special magnetic properties and low core losses are produced in this way. The intelligent furnace control system I-Furnace® optimizes the production process using data-driven models that predict the material properties and allow specific adjustments to be made during production. This results in high material quality, an improved CO₂ balance, and lower production costs. An essential element of electrical steel strip production is the advanced coating technology that is integrated in the line and used to apply a layer of insulating varnish. The technology comprises two horizontal coating systems (roll coaters), which were developed especially for electrically insulating coatings, and a flotation furnace for drying purposes. This setup ensures that the insulating varnish is applied to the strip surface in very thin, uniform layers of up to 0.5 µm without any flaws, and is dried in a contactless manner.The furnace rolls as well as the pay-off and tension reels in the new line are equipped with X-Pact Torque Drives, which transmit high torques directly and without having to use additional gear units. These compact and efficient direct drives minimize energy losses, reduce noise levels, and require minimal maintenance. The entire plant was engineered using 3D modeling. In this way, potential risks were minimized at an early stage and a seamless integration of the new plant into the existing infrastructure was ensured. SMS's X-Pact Plug and Work concept for conducting automation integration tests using the plant's digital twin enabled final optimizations to be made before the equipment was installed. This approach allowed the facility to be put into operation within a shorter time. The project was successfully implemented in an existing industrial environment at the tkSE site in Bochum, demonstrating SMS's expertise in implementing complex installations within the available infrastructure during ongoing production. With its lifecycle partnership approach, SMS offers continuous support with digital services and technical assistance to ensure maximum efficiency and availability of the plant throughout its entire lifecycle.To increase operational efficiency, the line is equipped with an automatic coil transport system from Amova. This innovative system uses driverless transport technology to optimize coil handling and help make the production process more efficient. 

Close the Glass Loop has unveiled the most comprehensive report to date on the Performance of Packaging Glass Recycling in Europe.

The recycling and resource recovery specialist will provide more details on its plans in the coming weeks, and it expects the facility to be operational in the second half of 2026.