Packaging circularity – Evoralis is developing innovative enzymes that can break down even the toughest mixed and blended fibers, paving the way for a truly circular economy in textiles 21-09-2024
Summa Equity acquires majority stake in plant engineering company Bollegraaf
Aerial view of Bollegraaf’s headquarters in Appingdam, the Netherlands
Aerial view of Bollegraaf’s headquarters in Appingedam in the Netherlands; in addition, the company has sites in Emmen (NL), Düsseldorf (Germany) and Rugeley (UK). Including Lubo, the group has around 350 employees.
Dutch waste sorting and recycling technology specialist Bollegraaf Group has a new majority shareholder. Financial investor Summa Equity is acquiring a controlling share of the business from Capital A Investment Partners. Capital A, then still operating as ABN Amro Participaties, acquired an undisclosed majority stake in the turnkey recycling solutions supplier in 2015. Summa Equity only recently entered an agreement to purchase large parts of the recycling and waste management division of the Finnish energy company Fortum. Packaging circularity
“With Capital A’s support, the Bollegraaf group experienced significant growth and innovative breakthrough, positioning the company as a key player in the recycling industry,” said Summa Equity and Bollegraaf in their Tuesday announcement of the deal. The companies did not disclose the size of the new shareholder’s stake or the value of the transaction.
The acquisition is subject to regulatory approval and expected to close in October, according to the two companies. After completion of the transaction, only Summa Equity and Bollegraaf management will be shareholders of the company, with Summa owning “a significant majority”, a spokesperson told EUWID. Packaging circularity
Evoralis is developing innovative enzymes that can break down even the toughest mixed and blended fibers, paving the way for a truly circular economy in textiles
Evoralis, a pioneering company specializing in the discovery and development of plastic-depolymerizing enzymes, has raised £2.5M in a Seed funding round. This investment marks a significant milestone in Evoralis’ mission to transform the recycling landscape for textiles and other plastics. Packaging circularity
The round was led by LIFTT S.p.A with co-investment from Cambridge Enterprise Ventures and Parkwalk Advisors, Backbone Ventures, circular economy-focused investors Circular Plastics Accelerator and Archipelago Ventures, as well as angel investors. CPI has successfully converted their convertible loan into equity, acquiring shares in the company.
Evoralis, a spin-out from the University of Cambridge Hollfelder Lab, harnesses a unique ultrahigh-throughput screening platform based on microfluidics to discover and refine enzymes capable of breaking down complex plastics into their constituent building blocks. This platform, which accelerates enzyme screening by up to 1,000 times compared to traditional methods, is a game-changer in the pursuit of an economically viable circular economy for textiles and plastics. Packaging circularity
Solenis, a leader in specialty chemicals, has partnered with Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (HEIDELBERG), a global printing technology company, to enhance barrier coatings integration for paper packaging
This collaboration enables packaging producers to apply Solenis’ barrier coatings directly during the flexographic printing process using HEIDELBERG’s machines. These coatings protect against liquids, oils, and moisture, improving both product performance and production efficiency. Packaging circularity
Solenis’ coatings cater to a wide range of applications, including board materials, flexible packaging, cupstock, and industrial shipping containers. By using print-applied barrier coatings, packaging producers can replace traditional polyethylene (PE) lamination and paraffin wax, making packaging more recyclable. For cupstock production, the coatings can be applied to hot and cold cups on existing equipment, eliminating the need for PE lamination and improving production speed.
This partnership responds to the increasing demand for sustainable packaging solutions that reduce plastic use while enhancing barrier performance. Solenis’ coatings are PFAS-free and environmentally friendly, offering a cost-effective alternative for packaging manufacturers. Packaging circularity
William Kuecker, Senior Director of Strategic Marketing at Solenis, highlighted the collaboration’s role in helping manufacturers optimize efficiency and sustainability. Similarly, Dr. David Schmedding from HEIDELBERG emphasized their shared goal of providing high-volume, sustainable solutions for the food packaging industry. Through this partnership, both companies aim to deliver advanced, eco-friendly packaging solutions that meet the growing market demand for sustainability.
BMW Group’s recycling and dismantling centre
Setting the pace for the circular economy inside BMW Group
BMW Group says it has been a pioneer of the circular economy in automotive engineering. It is also at the halfway point success in the Car2Car research project: efficient recycling of steel, aluminium, copper, glass and plastics. Packaging circularity
For 30 years, the BMW Group’s Recycling and Dismantling Centre (RDC) has been developing and testing processes to achieve significant advances in the recycling of parts and reusable materials. The expertise gained at the RDC is shared with a global network in the recycling industry and helps to promote the establishment of a circular economy in the automotive industry. It also feeds into the BMW Group’s product design process, ensuring that a new model’s recyclability is considered from the outset.
Each year, the RDC recycles several thousand vehicles, most of which are pre-series vehicles that have been used for testing and cannot be sold to end customers. These vehicles are dismantled using a standardised process that focuses on identifying reusable series components and materials suitable for recycling. Packaging circularity
Amut Green Extrusion Days in Novara: Showcasing Sustainable Innovations
Amut, the Italian leader in extrusion and recycling technology, will host the Green Extrusion Days from October 7-9 at its Novara headquarters. The event will showcase the latest advancements in plastic waste treatment, featuring expert presentations on cutting-edge technologies. Packaging circularity
A key highlight is the display of an extrusion plant demonstrating the direct “bottle to packaging” process. This system produces food-grade r-PET sheets using post-consumer PET flakes, highlighting Amut’s commitment to sustainability. Equipped with the Erema MPR reactor, the extrusion line transforms PET flakes into 100% rPET thermoforming monolayer sheets. These sheets are suitable for food contact, with a width of 1,200 mm and thicknesses ranging from 0.15 mm to 1.5 mm.
The system achieves impressive productivity rates of up to 1,400 kg/h, with a maximum speed of 60 m/min. Packaging circularity
Amut’s custom-designed extrusion line operates with proprietary software, featuring EasyStart for automatic startup and EasyChange for seamless production transitions.
Why sleeves and labels are vital for packaging circularity
When it comes to packaging design, why is it so important that brands take care when choosing their labels and sleeves – and what impact can the wrong choice have? Victoria Hattersley spoke with representatives from CCL label and DTM Print to find out. Packaging circularity
The demands of the upcoming Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) have put sustainable packaging design squarely at the top of the agenda for all members of the value chain. Sleeves and labels are an important part of this equation, impacting everything from recyclability to reusability, safety and resource efficiency. This means the choice of label – whether that’s paper or plastic, shrink sleeve or self-adhesive – has a huge impact on a brand’s overall carbon footprint.
And yet this importance can sometimes be overlooked amid wider conversations such as the material of the container itself. Packaging circularity
“Although the label seems like a small part of the packaging it can make or break recycling,” agrees Marika Knorr, Head of Sustainability and Communication at CCL Label. “The label or sleeve is often seen as a ‘decoration’ but it goes far beyond that – the label is a functional part of the packaging and needs to be the right fit for the established sorting and recycling processes.”
Packaging circularity