Demand for recycled material continues to grow. Over the past two years, Polykemi and Rondo Plast have jointly invested close to SEK 25 million to increase production capacity by approximately 7,500 tonnes of recycled material per year. These are volumes described as rare both in Sweden and across Europe. The companies indicate that the investments are intended to strengthen their position in high-quality engineering compounds, also based on new sources of PCR (post-consumer recycled).
The expansion covers both higher material availability and increased control over the process of preparing recyclate for further processing. According to the companies, this is expected to translate into a more stable feedstock supply for customers and the possibility to broaden the material portfolio with additional polymer groups.
Increasing the supply of high-quality material
In 2024, Polykemi and Rondo Plast purchased a plastics recycling machine from Erema with a capacity of 5,000 tonnes per year. In March 2026, capacity was expanded by commissioning a ReadyMac unit, adding another 2,500 tonnes per year.
"With the ReadyMac, we manage a larger part of the process and can handle recycled plastic at an earlier stage than before. The investment allows us to add process stabilizers to the material during upgrading and improve quality assurance," said Magnus Andersson, Production Manager at Polykemi Group.
The companies also point to an effect in the form of more predictable access to feedstock. "We are broadening our sources and can now process plastic from entirely new streams of marine ropes and nets as well as bottles, while volumes of non-woven and fiber materials are also increasing. The volumes at the quality level we are looking for are currently only available in limited quantities as pre-processed material. These investments allow us to access more material by processing it ourselves, securing better availability for our customers," said Patrik Lindqvist, Category Manager Recycled Materials at Rondo Plast.
The investments in the ReadyMac (left) and Erema (right) machines mean that Polykemi and Rondo Plast can now accept PCR also in PC, ABS, PS, and PA, along with PP and PE.
PCR also in engineering plastics
As stated, so far PCR has focused mainly on PP and PE. Following the investments, Polykemi and Rondo Plast report that they can now also process PCR in PC, ABS, PS and PA.
"Engineering plastics from PCR have previously not been clean enough. Thanks to laser filters that remove contamination down to 100 µm, we can now handle this upgrading process ourselves. This means we can expand our product portfolio and now offer engineering materials as recycled compounds as well," said Viktor Bladh, Department Manager at Rondo Plast.
A strategy to stay ahead of regulatory requirements
Polykemi and Rondo Plast indicate that their objective is to stay ahead in recycled materials and be well prepared for upcoming regulatory requirements, both for their own operations and for customers. "We gain control over a larger part of the process, our customers get more reliable material supply, and we reduce the number of transports during the refinement process. Very few others in Europe can match the quality and volume we are now able to produce," said Patrik Lindqvist.
Inside the Erema and ReadyMac recycling machines, the material is shredded and comes out as filtered regranulate, ready for the next step.
