Will the turnaround start now?
Interview with Christoph Wöss, Director Global Sales at Erema GmbH
Some selected media representatives from the plastics industry were invited to the Erema Group for a K’ 2025 preview event at the beginning of June. In their usual friendly and charming manner, the team led by CEO Manfred Hackl answered the journalists’ questions. Christoph Wöss, the newly appointed Director Global Sales and an expert in PET recycling, was unfortunately not on site. That’s why PETplanet is now taking the opportunity to speak with him!
PETplanet: Christoph, you’ve just returned from Peru! What was the reason for your trip?
Wöss: Hello Heike! As always, it is a pleasure to talk to you about PET recycling and I thank PETplanet for the opportunity to do so in retrospect. Yes, that’s right, I was in Peru the very week of the K’ preview event. I visited a few Erema customers there and the CMT “Circular Plastics Packaging” conference took place in Lima at the same time. It was and will always be important to me in my new position to find out what was actually happening on the ground. My key takeaways from this trip were that there are many good reasons to hope for more recycling in Latin America. On the one hand, many countries there already have EPR schemes, recycling targets and framework conditions that enable the use of rPET for direct food contact. On the other hand, the Latin American industry has repeatedly suffered setbacks in the form of very high inflation, high interest rates on loans and political instability. However, I have taken away a very positive general mood in the packaging industry as a whole and look forward to the next 1-3 years with optimism.
PETplanet: What can Erema expect from its new Director Global Sales?
Wöss: Erema is preparing intensively for the next leap towards internationalisation process of plastics recycling. On the one hand, this includes streamlining and optimising internal processes so that a copy in other countries works. We took this step over the past one to two years, making good use of the time during the recession that affected certain areas. At the same time, we need locally harmonised strategies that are aligned with the Erema portfolio and our core values. This is exactly where I come in – I want to spread our opportunities and the Erema spirit to our current and future subsidiaries worldwide so that people outside Ansfelden also want to passionately support our mission ‘Another life for plastic – because we care’.
PETplanet: Manfred Hackl reported that the financial year 2024/2025 closed with a 13% decline. A 10% decrease is forecast for 2025/2026. At least, things seem to be picking up again. What are the indicators of this slight upturn?
Wöss: Despite the currently challenging market environment, we see clear potential for positive developments – on multiple levels. With its technologies and solutions, the Erema Group covers the entire value chain of mechanical plastics recycling. By combining our expertise, we ensure that our customers remain competitive even in a dynamic market environment. This is reflected in our broad product portfolio, high system availability, and the quality of our service.
The plastics industry has increasingly recognised that the share of recycled materials in new products must continue to grow to achieve our shared goal of a functioning circular economy. While the European market has been subdued, the Group experienced positive momentum in North America and Asia. Regulations such as the PPWR (packaging and packaging waste directive), which has come into force in the EU, also give a positive outlook in Europe, provided that competitiveness can increase again. This would mean launching initiatives that combine ecological and economic interests and strengthen the industrial base, like the Clean Industrial Deal in the EU. Just as important are global developments that create reliable framework conditions, such as the rollout of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and legal requirements for mandatory use of recycled materials in new products.
However, we are also increasingly noticing that the plastics industry, especially in Europe is not letting itself get down and that there has been a strong sense of optimism, especially since the last PRSE show in Amsterdam. Even though we are plagued by excessive bureaucratisation here in Europe, the various associations are trying to push Brussels in the right direction. Just to name a few, harmonisation of the PPWR and SUPD and of immanent importance for the rPET market will be, that only PET packaging material that was previously placed in Europe counts towards achieving the recycling targets. This means that imports from third countries must not be counted, and this strengthens the European recycling industry in the long term! Personally, I am absolutely convinced that a true circular economy only works if the cycle remains in its own region. It is important to consider the environmental impact of our actions, and it is counterproductive to discuss recycling if we unnecessarily add to the CO2 emissions of rPET by transporting it over long distances.
PETplanet: Erema has established a broad foundation in plastics recycling – the right strategy to create balance when necessary. Has there been one division in particular that has supported the company over the past two years?
Wöss: Fortunately, no! And that’s exactly where the strength of Erema and the entire Erema Group lies. Our broad positioning across multiple areas of plastics recycling creates a stable foundation – even in challenging times. Internally, we don’t refer to “divisions” but rather to application areas that together form the backbone of our strategic approach. Of course, there are periods when one segment – such as post-consumer recycling – shows particularly strong growth. And yes, this is where we see the greatest long-term potential.
That said, it’s encouraging to note that revenue has remained well-balanced across our different business areas over the past few years. This balance proves that our approach works. On top of that, we have several promising developments in the pipeline – let’s call them “hot irons in the fire” – that may not be visible just yet, but they’re definitely coming. It’s this combination of technological breadth, market proximity, and innovation that makes our strategy so robust for the future.
PETplanet: India continues to be a strong sales market. Which machines sell particularly well there? Where do you see other potential markets?
Wöss: India has been a very strong market, especially in the PET sector, where we’ve sold many bottle-to-bottle systems like VACUNITE. However, it now seems that the market has reached a certain plateau, and other countries in the Far East are starting to emerge. Thanks to our global network, we closely monitor local developments and aim to detect market shifts as early as possible.
PETplanet: In addition to your new role as Director Global Sales, you’re still overseeing your previous area of responsibility. What updates can you share regarding bottle-to-bottle and PET recycling?
Wöss: Well, bottle-to-bottle recycling is well established worldwide. In recent years, we’ve focused on responding to the trend towards higher throughputs and lower production costs in a customer-oriented way – and I believe we’ve been successful!
Another area, tray-to-tray recycling, still needs more support to really take off. I hope this segment will receive a stronger push from the market than it has in previous years – the technology is already there. A very good example is already in production for several year at company Cirrec (Faerch Group) in the Netherlands and act as a true frontrunner in this application.
PETplanet: During the press tour, I saw the production hall of the smaller, all-rounder recycling series Ready Mac at the St. Marien site, among other things. How is business going with these machines? Where are they selling the most?
Wöss: Here too, we listened closely to the market. The only challenge we faced was how to position this offering alongside our INTAREMA products.
I believe that with READYMAC, we’ve now developed a technically mature and very solid solution for the entry-level market. The feedback from recent trade shows and current sales figures clearly supports this direction.
The first systems were going to Europe, but many of the next ones are very likely headed for LATAM and Asia, and with Africa as a promising market.
PETplanet: Alongside traditional mechanical recycling processes, Erema has also ventured into plastics processing for chemical recycling. We’ve also heard that Erema is now involved in textile recycling. Could you elaborate on this? What’s your outlook for Chemarema?
Wöss: Two application areas that would easily justify an entire interview on their own. The ongoing growth of plastics recycling can be seen not only in the established segments, but also increasingly in newer application segments involving chemical recycling, and fibre & textile recycling. When it comes to chemical recycling, we’ve never quite shared the full optimism surrounding the many technologies already on the market. We acknowledge that chemical recycling can be an important complement, but there are still numerous challenges – many of which first need to be addressed through mechanical and physical pre-treatment. That’s exactly where we step in. One result of this is the CHEMAREMA, with additional innovations already in the pipeline. They all share the same objective: how to prepare existing plastic fractions in such a way that chemical recycling processes can handle them efficiently and economically. Erema started up its first large-scale CHEMAREMA extruders for chemical recycling during the 2024/25 financial year. The development of fibre-to-fibre recycling also looks very promising. Initial pilot projects have already been carried out, and an Erema reference system will start operation later this year. The commissioning of a recycling machine for post-consumer textiles by PURE LOOP, one of the Group’s subsidiaries, at Salvation Army Trading Company in spring 2024, marks a new milestone. The project won the Plastics Industry Award.
PETplanet: Two important trade fairs are coming up soon: drinktec, which is particularly relevant for the PET sector, and of course the K’ trade fair in Düsseldorf. What are your expectations for Munich? What will you be presenting?
Wöss: In Munich, we’ll be present with a smaller team, but we’ll be showcasing our entire, already well-established portfolio for the packaging sector. This trade fair has always been a high-level industry event, known for its in-depth technical discussions – and that’s exactly what I’m expecting again this year. It’s a true meeting point for the packaging industry.
Some of the innovations we presented during the K preview event in the PET sector – and which are also relevant for drinktec – will already be part of our offering in Munich such as our new adapted SSP process with more than 40% of Nitrogen reduction and a new way to enable Virgin producers to enter the recycling field by using Glycolyses AFTER our well known Decontamination Vacuum- Reactor to inject IV stabilised and food grade melt into the finisher of the PET virgin process. But the full launch will come at the K show in Düsseldorf, where we will proudly present all innovations across all application areas and from the different companies of Erema Group.
PETplanet: The entire plastics industry seems to have high hopes for the K trade fair. The Erema Group will be fully represented. Aside from a still-secret presentation, what are your personal highlights of what the Erema Group will showcase?
Wöss: It’s the people and the moments with others that truly matter. That’s what I’m most looking forward to – despite all the effort an eight-day event like this brings with it. The K show is a major milestone in our Edvanced Recycling campaign – which is about Erema prime solutions in advanced recycling. And here, some of the K’ innovations we already shared with you and for more, Heike, make sure to stop by our booth – you’ll get to see my personal highlight with your own eyes.