The use of recycled plastics in high-quality end products is gaining importance worldwide. This trend is driven both by sustainability targets adopted by international brand owners and by growing regulatory requirements. At Chinaplas 2026, which will take place from 21 to 24 April in Shanghai, Erema will present how proven recycling technologies can ensure consistent regranulate quality for a wide range of applications. The presentation will focus on solutions for high-quality end applications, and the company’s experts will be available for detailed discussions at booth 2.1 B58. As James Qiu, General Manager of Erema Shanghai, indicates, many companies are currently analysing specific issues related to which applications recyclates can and will be used for today and in the future. "These are exactly the topics we are addressing at Chinaplas," he emphasizes.
In the PET segment, the company’s solutions still account for the majority of recycling systems operating in China. Erema has already installed more than 50 Vacurema and Vacunite systems in the region. The market direction is shifting towards food-grade applications. As Christoph Wöss, Global Sales Director at Erema, explains, the company’s technologies provide customers with high flexibility. "The regranulates are used in applications such as sheets, fibres or packaging. As soon as the market opens up for bottle-to-bottle recycling, our customers will be able to enter this segment immediately," he says.
PET recycling and applications with elevated requirements
One area with strong potential is tray-to-tray recycling, including take-away packaging. The required technology has already been validated on an industrial scale. Danish company Faerch, one of the leading food packaging manufacturers, is regarded as a pioneer in this segment through its recycling division Cirrec. Trays produced from rPET thermoforming film contain up to 100 per cent recycled post-consumer PET and meet stringent requirements for food safety, durability and transparency.
The Vacurema and Vacunite machine series have received approvals from globally recognized food safety authorities for the production of food-grade rPET. In December 2025, Erema also received four additional positive opinions from the European Food Safety Authority, EFSA, in accordance with EU Regulation 2022/1616. This confirms that the technology meets current requirements for decontamination and process validation. In addition, the distinction between bottle and sheet applications reduces complexity for recycling companies.
As James Qiu notes, most rPET in China is currently used in textile production. "In the future, when the bottle-to-bottle recycling market opens up, it will be crucial to implement solutions that keep PET within the appropriate material loops," he states. With the FibrePro:IV fibre-to-fibre PET recycling technology, as well as the investment announced in October in Australian company BlockTexx, Erema is also expanding its expertise in textile recycling.
Growing importance of post-consumer recycling
According to the company’s representatives, interest in post-consumer waste solutions is growing in China. James Qiu points out that Erema supports customers with a broad range of technological expertise. One example is a process implemented jointly with Irish company Polymer Matters and joint venture partner Lindner Washtech, in which HDPE milk bottles from post-consumer collection are recycled and used again to produce new milk bottles. The combination of washing and extrusion technology is the basis for the high quality of the resulting recyclate. This process was recently classified by the European Commission as an advanced novel technology for direct food contact.
Rising requirements are also visible in the recycling of film waste. Household, supermarket and agricultural films are particularly challenging due to contamination and moisture. For such material streams, Erema offers the Intarema TVEplus DuaFil Compact system, designed for demanding processing conditions.
While post-consumer regranulates are already used in high-quality products in Europe, the number of such applications in China remains limited. One example is Intco. The company operates around 30 Intarema TVEplus systems equipped with Erema laser filters for EPS recycling. As James Qiu explains, "the regranulates achieve a high level of quality and are used in premium products such as picture and photo frames. Thanks to its integrated value chain, Intco holds a strong position in the international market."
Local support and presence in Asia
Erema has been present in Asia for decades and has operated its own subsidiary in China since 2005. Local technicians have undergone comprehensive training at the company’s headquarters in Austria and provide customers with on-site support. Additional subsidiaries in the region operate in India and Thailand.
The company also announced its speaking programme during the "The Power of Plastics" conference in hall 2.1 at booth J92. Christoph Wöss will present on PET recycling in China and flexible models for using these technologies, while Clemens Kitzberger will discuss the scaling of high-quality PCR recyclates using advanced recycling technologies.
Erema experts at Chinaplas: once again in 2026, the team in Shanghai will be available for in-depth discussions on high-quality plastics recycling.
