German film and sheet extruder Epsotech (Jülich-Kirchberg; www.epsotech.de) said it is expanding its commitment to using post-consumer recycled (PCR) materials with products containing polyolefin-based seaborne plastics.

The company has also announced the addition of PE- and HIPS-based PCR solutions, while its R&D department is establishing alternative ABS sources suitable for thermoforming applications.

At an April thermoforming symposium held by German plastics institute SKZ (Würzburg; www.skz.de), Epsotech presented a PE-based material with 40% PCR and 30% ocean plastics content for use in the case and transport box sector, and a 100% marine plastics polyethylene solution for thermoformed displays in the cosmetics area.

Plain processed PE sheets from sea plastics have successfully qualified for the retail sector and have been an integral part of sustainable playground equipment for some time. Epsotech has set a goal of substituting at least 30% of its PE product portfolio with post-consumer and seaborne plastics over the next five years.

The company, which recently sold a plastics fibre production plant in Denmark (see Plasteurope.com of 16.05.2022), produces its extruded sheets and films at six European production sites.