Novoplast Schlauchtechnik, a subsidiary of the Masterflex Group, is introducing a new take-back service for plastic hose samples. The solution is aimed at customers in Germany and is intended to reduce material wastage after completion of the testing phase. The company stresses that the project is part of the implementation of a circular economy strategy in the field of industrial plastic hoses and complements its existing engineering service portfolio. The new service has been designed as free of charge for customers, using a digital return procedure based on QR code labelling of samples. In this way, the company aims to link the technical development of hose products with an organised return of material to the raw material cycle after completion of application tests.
Free return of plastic hose samples
From this year onwards, the Halberstadt-based company is extending its engineering service offering with a component focused on sustainability. As part of the new project, Novoplast Schlauchtechnik is offering customers in Germany the option of free return of hose samples once their performance in industrial applications has been evaluated. The service applies to plastic hoses supplied as samples in development and qualification processes.
The aim is to prevent sample components from entering an uncontrolled waste stream or remaining unused after the testing phase. Instead, samples are to be returned in an organised manner so that they can be reintroduced into the material cycle. The company emphasises that adding the take-back option does not involve additional organisational effort for customers.
Circular economy within the Masterflex Group
The sample take-back project is part of the wider strategy of the Masterflex Group to move towards a circular economy. The group describes this transformation as one of the pillars of its Hero@Zero corporate strategy. Within this framework, work is underway on solutions that enable hoses to be designed and manufactured in a way that supports material reuse.
The CEO of Masterflex SE, Dr Andreas Bastin, points out that for the group the circular economy concept is already being implemented and is not just a declaration. He notes that last year the company presented the first innovations in hoses designed as products capable of functioning in a cradle-to-cradle model. The group now acts as an active development partner and is already implementing solutions based on this concept in both spiral and smooth hose segments. According to the company, the objective is to apply a consistently circular approach to value creation in the hose industry, covering both the product and its associated services.
Hero Zero! Novoplast Schlauchtechnik, part of the Masterflex Group, launches take-back service
Combining hoses, engineering and controlled take-back
The new sample take-back service is intended to ensure that samples sent to customers are not discarded after testing but are collected in a controlled manner and directed to an appropriate material stream. The company highlights the specific role of engineering, which includes not only the design stage of the hose but also the way the product is handled after its test use is completed.
Niels Mitzlaff, Head of Development (R&D) at Novoplast Schlauchtechnik, points to the responsibility associated with the full life cycle of a product. In his view, the delivery of a product does not mark the end of the process, especially in engineering applications where it is important to consider the return phase and subsequent handling of the material.
Each hose sample covered by the project is labelled with a tag containing a QR code. The use of this labelling is intended to simplify the initiation of the return procedure, which is handled digitally. After scanning the code, the customer can start the return process for the samples without having to complete additional formalities. The solution is designed to facilitate the integration of sustainability aspects into development processes on the user side without increasing organisational burden.
Novoplast Schlauchtechnik states that the initiative forms the basis for further service concepts for take-back and recycling that can be developed on the basis of experience gained in the current project. In this way, the company combines technical development, engineering expertise and measures aimed at responsible management of materials over the life cycle of hose products.
