Page 46 - Plastics News August 2026
P. 46
FEATURE NEWS
Explaining the significance of the innovation, The innovation aligns with the Government of
Dr. Sanjib Banerjee said that while convention- India's vision under flagship initiatives such as
al thermoset plastics offer excellent strength Swachh Bharat Mission, Atmanirbhar Bharat,
and durability, their inability to be reshaped or Make in India, and the National Resource Effi-
recycled after manufacture results in substan- ciency Policy. By converting plastic waste into
tial waste accumulation. The newly developed value-added, reusable engineering materials
material overcomes this limitation by combining through indigenous research, the technology
durability with reprocess-ability, demonstrat- has the potential to reduce dependence on vir-
ing that discarded Polyethylene Terephthalate gin plastics, promote resource efficiency and
(PET) bottles can be converted into high-value contribute to a cleaner, more sustainable manu-
engineering materials for advanced manufactur- facturing ecosystem.
ing applications.
If this is intended for official Press Information
The technology holds considerable promise for Bureau (PIB) release, it can be further refined to
producing customised plastic components, re- match the Bureau's editorial house style, includ-
usable consumer products, educational models ing a stronger government-news lead, sharper
and engineering prototypes where repeated re- attribution, and a 650–750-word format com-
shaping and repair are advantageous. Its thermal monly used for national media dissemination.
responsiveness and ability to regain strength af- Source- https://www.pib.gov.in
ter cooling also make it a promising candidate
for future three-dimensional (3D) printing and
additive manufacturing technologies, enabling
more sustainable production with reduced ma-
terial waste.
Plastic Recycling: Growth Market Despite Challenges
espite challenging market conditions, The plastics recycling market is under signifi-
the Erema Group is systematically con- cant pressure for the third consecutive year.
Dtinuing to develop its recycling tech- High energy costs, weak demand for recyclates
nologies. In order to increase the proportion of and intense international competition are bur-
recyclate in plastic products, the family-owned dening the sector. This is a particular challenge
company continues to invest in research and de- for companies based in Europe, says Manfred
velopment. In view of the sharply rising global Hackl, CEO of the Erema Group: We have built
demand for plastics, the company manage- up a cost structure in Europe that increasingly
ment expects a significant increase in demand disadvantages industrial companies in interna-
for high-performance recycling technologies in tional competition.“The Erema Group also felt
the long term. Recycled plastic is also gaining the impact of market developments. In the last
increasing importance globally as a secondary financial year, which ended in March, the recy-
raw material. cling specialist generated revenue of €235 mil-
50 PLASTICS NEWS August 2026
