As part of our company-wide PÖPPELMANN blue® initiative, which aims to close material loops, we develop sustainable protective caps and protective plugs. The protective elements are made using post-consumer recycled material (PCR). This post-consumer recycled material is made from used plastic products that have already completed a full lifecycle. Since our sustainable plastic caps and plugs are 100% recyclable themselves, they can be also be reused in the production of new caps and plugs as well as other plastic products. This returns them to the material loop.
The plastic content of our sustainable plastic caps and plugs is 100% PCR. We use the recycled materials PCR polyethylene (PCR-PE) and PCR polypropylene (PCR-PP). All KAPSTO® products made of PCR-PE and PCR-PP bear the German government’s Blue Angel environmental label established for environmentally friendly products which guarantees that the products are made of at least 80% recycled material.
![[Translate to US:] Verschluss aus PCR-PE](https://www.poeppelmann.com/fileadmin/Kapsto_Produktdatenbank/2._Blaue_Welle/gpn-600-blue-kap-200.png "[Translate to US:] Verschluss aus PCR-PE")
![[Translate to US:] Verschluss aus Rezyklat](https://www.poeppelmann.com/fileadmin/KAPSTO/Vorteile/gpn-608-pr-blue-sto-de.png "[Translate to US:] Verschluss aus Rezyklat")
Sustainability through closed material loop
Our sustainable caps and plugs made from recycled plastic are 100% recyclable after use, provided that they are disposed of using the correct disposal system. This can include direct return via Pöppelmann KAPSTO® itself. Contact us if you are interested in establishing your own closed material loop with us.
We will then review whether this is possible in your case. You can see how the closed material loop works in the figure below.
And you can find out how the closed recycling loop looks in reality here.
Recycled material production
Used plastic products that have completed a full lifecycle, such as our caps and plugs, are reprocessed to become recycled material.
Production
The recycled material produced is then used for the production of new caps and plugs.
Utilisation
The recycled plastic caps and plugs are, in turn, used to protect components.
Return
After use, these items can be disposed of using an external service provider or through Pöppelmann directly.
Sorting
The caps and plugs are then sorted according to plastic type and can be reused for the manufacture of recycled material.
Our sustainable plastic caps used by a renowned automotive manufacturer
Our plastic protective elements are predominantly used in industrial production and protect sensitive and function-critical components against the penetration of dirt during production, storage and transport. After a relatively short service life, the high-quality protective elements are then disposed of. Since the issue of sustainability plays a key role in our daily business, however, we presented our KAPSTO® plastic caps made of PCR PE (polyethylene made of post-consumer recycled material) to Mercedes Benz Hamburg in 2019. This signalled the beginning of our collaboration.
Sustainability not just a trend
Before the collaborative project, attempts had already been made in the plant to reuse the caps. However, due to the high quality demands placed on the plastic caps, these were not successful. The decision was therefore made to recycle – which turned out to be the ideal solution. After all, this preserves the high quality of the material, which continues to ensure a close fit, precision and safety, while simultaneously closing the loop. The caps are collected in the plant and then picked up by Pöppelmann at regular intervals. They are then processed into the recycled material PCR-PE, which is used to make new KAPSTO® plastic caps and plugs. This, in turn, closes the material loop.
Now over to you
After the first successful projects, we want to embark on more collaborations and firmly anchor the circular economy concept in industry. After all, we have no doubt that this is the only future for non-durable plastic products. Contact us if you would also like your company to get in the loop – or if you have any other ideas!
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