The Winners of the Plastics Recycling Awards Europe 2023

Each of the seven category winners exemplifies the progress in the circular use of plastics in today's products, as well as the recycling innovations and technologies enabling this progress. They are:

Automotive, Electrical & Electronic Product: Electrolux 700 GreenZone MaxiSpace fridge-freezer by Electrolux and Coolrec

Building & Construction Product: Ridgidrain from Polypipe Civil & Green Urbanisation

Household & Leisure Product: Gardena Eco Line from Husqvarna Group

Plastic Packaging Product: Fertiliser containers made from recycled plastic by PreZero Polymers GmbH, Kunststoff Recycling Grünstadt & Compo GmbH

Product Technology Innovation: Avient colour prediction service from Avient Corporation

Recycling Machinery Innovation: Two-stage process for more energy-efficient plastics recycling by ENGEL Austria GmbH

Ambassador for plastics recycling: Manfred Hackl of EREMA Group GmbH

The winner of the Automotive, Electrical or Electronic Product is the Electrolux 700 GreenZone MaxiSpace fridge-freezer, which uses Coolrec's High Impact Polystyrene (HIPS) recycled polymer. The judges recognised this as an outstanding example of today's evolving use of high quality recycled plastic. In the Building & Construction Products category, the winner is Polypipe Civils & Green Urbanisation's Ridgidrain, which has successfully combined community action with circularity. A 'wash & squash' campaign in the local community where Polypipe manufactures Ridgidrain has helped the company source high quality post-consumer waste from HDPE milk and bleach bottles. In the Household & Leisure category, which covers all types of household and leisure products, this year's winner is Husqvarna Group's Gardena Eco Line, a range of high-quality gardening tools made from recycled materials that bring a new meaning to sustainability in the garden. This year's winner in the Plastic Packaging category, a recycled plastic fertiliser container from PreZero Polymers, Kunststoff Recycling and Compo, demonstrates today's progress in the circular use of plastics, even in technically challenging applications. Made from high quality post-consumer recycled plastic, each part of the multi-part container can be recycled even after the labels are easily removed. Avient Corporation won the Product Technology Innovation Award for its Avient Colour Prediction Service. The judges were particularly impressed by its potential to open the door to the use of recycled plastics in a growing range of aesthetic applications. The Color Prediction Service can digitally illustrate the colour possibilities or limitations of specific types of post-consumer recycled (PCR) material, simplifying the colour decision-making process during product development and launch. The winner of the Recycling Machinery Innovation Award is ENGEL Austria for its two-stage process for more energy-efficient plastics recycling, a brilliant example of how technological advances are improving the efficiency and circularity of plastics manufacturing. ENGEL's new two-stage process eliminates granulation from the plastics recycling process, as regrind is processed directly in the injection moulding machine in the form of flakes. This year's winner of the coveted Plastics Recycling Ambassador award is Manfred Hackl, CEO of the EREMA Group, described by the jury as the face of the industry's technology leader. The winner will receive a trophy with a 3D printed base made from 100% recycled ABS plastic car dashboards and a multi-coloured top laser cut from compressed HDPE beach cleaning bottle caps.

"We have seen a significant increase in the number and quality of entries again this year. It's very encouraging to see the increasing use of recycled content in more and more products," said Ton Emans, President of Plastics Recyclers Europe. "These awards show how well everyone from major brands and material producers to machinery manufacturers are working together to improve recycling throughout the plastics value chain. "In the six years that these awards have been running, it has been so gratifying to see the progress being made in recycling plastics for high quality, everyday branded consumer goods," said Matt Barber, Global Events Director, Crain Communications. "Congratulations to all seven winners." The Plastics Recycling Awards Europe are jointly organised by Plastics Recyclers Europe and Crain Communications, organisers of PRSE. FIMIC SRL and EREMA Engineering Recycling Maschinen GmbH are Platinum Sponsors of the 2023 Awards. The Plastics Recycling Show Europe is a free to attend exhibition with over 320 exhibitors and a conference designed for professionals in the plastics recycling industry and all those involved in the sustainable use of plastics. The show attracts key players from the plastics and recycling sectors to showcase innovative technology, share best practice, network and do business. A diverse cross section of the industry is represented at the event, including plastics recycling machinery and equipment suppliers, plastic material suppliers and compounders, pre-processors, mechanical and chemical plastics recyclers, waste management specialists and industry associations.