Lindner at work in plastics application in Europe

Austria-based Lindner-Recyclingtech GmbH says two of its shredders is helping Energenta Ersatzbrennstoffe GmbH of Germany make a shredded plastic scrap grade that meets the requirements of regional chemical recycling plants.

Energenta, headquartered in Ochtrup, Germany, has been producing high-calorific solid recovered fuels (SRF) since 2004, says Lindner.

Five years ago, the firm’s business model was expanded to include mechanical recycling of plastics. Now, using an additional Lindner Jupiter 3200 primary shredder, installed last November, the company says it is prepared to tackle growing challenges in the plastics recycling industry.

In Ochtrup, located near Germany’s border with the Netherlands, Energenta and its 30 employees have a history of turning production scrap and waste into what Lindner calls “particularly pure, high-calorific refuse-derived fuels (RDF) and solid recovered fuels (SRF).” Those products are used in cement and lime industry rotary kilns.

“We have been operating two SRF production lines for more than 10 years, each consisting of a Lindner Jupiter 3200 or a 2200 primary shredder as well as a Lindner Komet 2800 secondary shredder,” says Axel Möhring, managing director of Energenta.

“The systems have a compact design and are connected in series. Thanks to small knives and fine screens, we achieve a very fine, homogeneous and clean output material.”

Each production line can make about 8 metric tons of SRF per hour in a two-shift operation, six days a week, according to Lindner.

About five years, Energenta began engaging in mechanically recycling plastics. “We are very pleased with how Lindner’s shredders produce SRF, but due to the demand for high-quality recyclate, we have gradually expanded our business model,” Möhring says.

“We are currently focusing on mechanically recycling plastics that are not composites.

For the most part, from Energenta’s perspective, composites such as liquid packaging board, pharmaceutical blister packs or multilayer films are still largely put into RDF or SRF products that replace fossil fuels, helping to reduce CO₂ emissions.

Mechanically recyclable plastics, on the other hand, are preshredded with a Lindner Micromat model and then regranulated at another Energenta location in Nuremberg, Germany.

“High recyclate quality starts with the collection process,” Möhring says. “We therefore launched our own collection system for small and medium-sized companies to store different types of plastic in different boxes. This way, companies can make a valuable contribution to the circular economy, while we receive properly sorted, valuable materials that help us achieve a high processing quality.

“As a recycling company, it is really important for us to do something for our environment and what I would describe as responsible production that is fair to future generations.’

Regarding chemical recycling and its potential ability to divert materials that have been considered difficult to recycle, Möhring says, “Material streams on the market will change – and with them the tasks we have to master.”

He sees the Lindner Jupiter 3200 as a way to confront those changes. “At Energenta group, we are very pleased with Lindner. Lindner machines are superbly designed and offer high-quality craftsmanship," Möhring says. "Lindner is prepared to invest in joint trials and break new ground. That’s what makes Lindner a good and reliable partner."