THE winners of the Plastics Recycling Awards Europe 2024 have been named during the Plastics Recycling Show Europe in Amsterdam.
For the first time in the seven-year history of the awards, the judges have announced two Plastics Recycling Ambassadors as well as the four product and two innovation category winners.
The category of Plastics Recycling Ambassador of the Year gives recognition to individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to European plastics recycling. This year the judges wanted to recognise the achievements of two individuals: Erica Canaia, the CEO of FIMIC and co-founder of AreyouR, a project aimed at increasing public awareness and the importance of plastics recycling, and Vicente Olmos Jorge, CEO and founder of SINTAC Recycling, who has been a leader in the plastics recycling industry for over 30 years.
Winner of the Automotive, Electrical or Electronic Product of the Year category, the Electrolux 900 Series Air Purifier by Electrolux AB, was praised by judges for the high percentage of post-consumer recycled content used in a ‘well-designed and multifunctional’ item.
The RPS Skimmer by Fluidra, a vital part of a swimming pool filtration system that needs a high level of durability, is the winner of the Building & Construction Product of the Year category. Judges were impressed both the high percentage of recycled content and its well-designed recyclability when the component reaches end-of-life.
This year’s winner of the Household & Leisure Product of the Year category is the Blue Finn Chair by Bywyd B.V. The Blue Finn chair is described as a ‘highly stackable, multifunctional’ chair with a polymer seat and back made from 85% recycled impact modified Bluewrap, which is the wrapping used for keeping surgical instruments sterile.
Beiersdorf AG & Morssinkhof Plastics Heerenveen B.V. are victorious in the Plastic Packaging Product of the Year category with the Nivea Sun Lotion Bottle. The design gained high marks for addressing the challenge of cosmetics packaging applications through collaboration.
The Product Technology Innovation of the Year accolade went to Multi-Color Corporation with NextCycle IML. This category covers technology innovations that facilitate the production of recyclable products and the use of recycled content. The winning innovation helps maximise the value of recycled polypropylene and is said to represent a good balance between shelf appeal and recyclability for mono-material PP packaging.
The Recycling Machinery Innovation of the Year category winner is DischargePro Technology by Powerfil – EREMA Group, a new generation of plastic melt filters which the judges described as a smart technological advance in the extrusion process.
All eight winners received a trophy with a 3D printed base made from 100% recycled ABS plastic car dashboards and the multi-colour top, which is laser cut from compressed HDPE beach clean-up bottle caps.
The Plastics Recycling Awards Europe are organised jointly by Plastics Recyclers Europe and Crain Communications, organisers of the Plastics Recycling Show Europe.
