ANDRITZ and HolyPoly offer recycling solution for paper machine clothing to mills across Europe

International technology group ANDRITZ, a leading supplier to the pulp and paper industry, has signed an exclusive cooperation agreement with the German recycling pioneer HolyPoly to provide a comprehensive recycling solution for used paper machine clothing to paper producers across Europe.

The new service enables mills to recycle all forming fabrics and felts at the end of their service life, contributing to a more circular economy.

Under this first-of-its-kind agreement, HolyPoly, a specialist in the recycling of post-consumer plastic waste, has been licensed by ANDRITZ to collect used paper machine clothing (PMC) from paper mills and recycle it.

Currently, a total of 7,000 tons of PMC is discarded from paper machines in Europe each year. Most of this waste is incinerated or, in some cases, landfilled. The new agreement between ANDRITZ and HolyPoly provides an immediate solution for the recycling of PMC and contributes to increasing the circularity of post-consumer waste in paper production.

“We worked intensively with universities and plastics recycling experts to develop a suitable solution for recycling PMC. Once we had it, we needed an experienced partner to scale up the process and bring the concept to life,” said Jan Freudenberg, Director R&D Forming Fabrics, ANDRITZ. “HolyPoly is the perfect fit for our concept. They have the necessary waste removal certifications, logistics networks, and know-how to bring used PMC into the circular economy.”

Niklas Bäumer, Project Owner Recycling Programs, HolyPoly, said, “We are delighted to be working with ANDRITZ on PMC recycling and impressed by their commitment to providing customers with sustainable solutions. This is a pioneering joint project, with both companies dedicated to solving important challenges in the European paper industry’s circularity. With our new service, paper mills can be assured that their used PMC will be properly recycled, and their high-quality plastics will be used in new products.”

As part of the service, PMC from ANDRITZ and all other OEMs and manufacturers can be collected and recycled through HolyPoly’s extensive network of recycling operations and partners. HolyPoly is a young German company with a dedicated team of plastics recycling experts who recognize the significant value of discarded post-consumer waste. The company has extensive knowledge in waste collection, logistics and processes involved in the recycling and utilization of recycled plastics.