On Thursday November 22nd the III MKP Technical Conference took place in Madrid. MachinePoint together with Reifenhauser Group, NGR, Frigosystems, Ultrasystem and Syncro presented the latest innovations and solutions to the market of film extrusion, recycling and bag making.
MKP is the representative of Reifenhauser Group, NGR, Frigosystems, Ultrasystem and Syncro in Spain. It is a young company, founded in 2006, and has a highly qualified team in the machinery industry. It currently has more than 500 machines working in the Spanish market.
MachinePoint is the leading company in the buying and selling of used machinery for the plastics and beverage industries, and it is especially strong in the film, flexible packaging and recycling markets. Both companies are of Spanish origin, MPK is located in Madrid and MachinePoint is headquartered in Valladolid.
MKP brought together a group of guests from leading Spanish companies in film extrusion, recycling and bag making, who attended this conference that took place at the NH Collection Colon hotel in Madrid.
Circular economy of plastic production was a key subject during the conference. Companies and governments are looking for a solution so that in the future the plastic industry is respectful with the environment. Soon companies will have to comply with the new regulations the European Union will impose on all its countries members over the next few years.
Many of the disposable plastic products that we find today for sale will disappear over the course of the next few years in the European Union. The European Commission backed with an absolute majority on October 23, the idea of gradually banning the production and sale in Europe of a series of single-use plastic products. From 2021 the following products will be banned: straws, plates, cutlery and sticks for food and drink, cotton sticks, sticks to hold balloons, oxo-degradable plastic products and expanded polystyrene fast food containers. . From 2025 90% of plastic bottles will be recycled. Polluting packaging for fruit, vegetables or desserts will have to be reduced by up to 25% by 2025. Cigarette filters will be reduced by up to 80% by the year 2030. They are also considering making product manufacturers responsible for the costs of cleaning the waste of their products. Such a scenario will affect industries like the tobacco industry for cigarette butts, or fishing gear manufacturers, etc, which would have to cover collection costs. Different European state members have to discuss the law and see how to implement it in their respective countries.
During MKP conference, leading manufacturers in the industry such as Reifenhauser Group, NGR, Frigosystems, Ultrasystem and Syncro showed how their solutions intend to adapt to these new demands of the market. They are actively participating in the transformation of the plastics industry from a linear economy, with a linear chain from production to waste, to a circular producing economy, where resources recycled in a sustainable manner enter again into the production chain. This huge change in production strategy is being promoted politically by the European Commission and the Ellen Mac Arthur Foundation. To achieve these changes a technological evolution is required so machinery is more efficient, consumes less raw material, reduces energy consumption and decreases plastic waste. A greater investment in recycling machinery will be needed.
Companies from the plastic industry are also becoming agents of this change through two collaborative platforms: CEFLEX and Goodplastics.org. Different integrators and manufacturers in the plastic industry participate to find viable technological solutions that will lead this change towards an economy of circular plastic production. Developing new materials such as PVOH, biodegradable material for barrier film is required.
Cesar Rodríguez, CEO of MachinePoint comments, “A world without plastic is unimaginable. Plastic has been essential to achieve the quality of life we currently have in our society. However, we urgently need to find an absolute solution to prevent the uncontrollable production of the waste we are generating. At MachinePoint we have become part of the Goodplastics.org platform where we hope to collaborate by contributing our vision of how we can, for example, help to recycle obsolete machinery. The cost of manufacturing a machine is high, but we have to avoid that it is high for the environment. Prolonging the life of any machine by modernizing it and extending its life is essential. The final recycling of the machine must also be carried out properly.
We have spent almost 20 years removing machinery from companies and geographical regions that have generated a surplus due to a change in the economic cycle or a technological change. This machinery is can be reused in other geographical regions or companies that are in a different cycle. This generates value for everybody: the Seller gets extra cash, the Buyer has access to quality machinery at reasonable prices, and the environment and the society in general benefit from extending the life cycle of the machinery by recycling the equipment.
In addition, today thanks to partners like Syncro, old machines can be reconditioned to drastically increase their useful life, efficiency and productivity. This comes as a lower cost to the buyer and the environment than producing a new machine.”
Marco Machiorello, Head of Sales at MachinePoint’s film division, adds, “Given the current overcapacity of installed production of many companies in Europe and also in Spain, if we are facing a slowdown in economic growth, it will be necessary for many companies to get rid of part of their surplus of machinery.
Taking care of the sale of used machinery is a meticulous job, it consumes time and you have to know how to do it to avoid risks and problems. A professionalized company like MachinePoint allows managers to delegate this task to a company of maximum confidence.”
