Recycling of EPP/EPE/EPS foams into colour-sorted, certified regranulates for the automotive and packaging industries
General Industries Deutschland GmbH
Kassel · EschwegeNew on Amplifa
About General Industries Deutschland
General Industries Deutschland GmbH (GID), with sites in Kassel and Eschwege, specialises in the recycling of expanded particle foams EPP, EPE and EPS. From single-trip and multi-trip systems – in particular load carriers from the automotive industry as well as packaging and production residues – the company produces colour-sorted regranulates made of polypropylene and polyethylene. At the central site in Eschwege, around 12,000 tonnes of pre-material are processed annually, among other things on a Starlinger plastics processing and recycling system with C-VAC degassing and a Maag/Ettlinger melt filter, which also enables problematic materials with foreign matter such as paper, metal or rubber to be reprocessed. With the LION 400 take-back system, decentralised densification at 25 compactors and its own laboratory quality assurance, GID serves the entire value chain from collection through sorting and compaction to regranulation. Partners include JSP International and Wetropa; the PCR recyclates are certified according to EuCertPlast and RecyClass, and the ARcycle regranulate (rEPP) is approved by JSP for EPP-RE production.
- Site
- Kassel
- Processes
- EPP/EPE/EPS foam recycling into colour-sorted regranulates, EPP take-back system (LION 400) for load carriers, Granulation & filtration, Laboratory (quality testing of plastics), Full-service recycling, EPE recycling / densification (pressing, payload approx. 22 t per truck), Regranulation of PCR material incl. filtration of foreign matter (paper, metal, rubber), EPP take-back system (LION 400 standard, silo, container)
- Materials
- EPP (expanded polypropylene), EPE (expanded polyethylene), EPS (expanded polystyrene), Polypropylene (regranulate), Polyethylene (regranulate), Arpro 5134 RE (EPP with 25% recyclate content, JSP), ARcycle rEPP (Premium Quality rPP regranulate), ARcycle rEPP (premium rEPP)
- Certificates
- EuCertPlast, RecyClass (certification of PCR streams), RecyClass (PCR streams)
- Industries
- Automotive industry, Packaging industry, Plastics processing
- 01
Collection/Take-back (EPP take-back system LION 400)
- 02
Sorting
- 03
Compaction/Densification
- 04
Regranulation
- 05
Filtration
- 06
Laboratory quality testing
- 07
Delivery of regranulates
Materials and Processes
EPP (expanded polypropylene)
Recycling of EPP load carriers and components from the automotive and packaging industries into colour-sorted regranulates.
EPE (expanded polyethylene)
Processing of EPE production residues into regranulates of the highest purity in the circular project with Wetropa.
EPS (expanded polystyrene)
Recycling of EPS from single-trip and multi-trip systems.
Polypropylene (regranulate)
Certified PP regranulates for reusable applications.
Polyethylene (regranulate)
Certified PE regranulates for reusable applications.
Arpro 5134 RE (EPP with 25% recyclate content, JSP)
EPP material with 25% recyclate content for safety-relevant automotive components such as bumpers.
ARcycle rEPP (premium rEPP)
RecyClass-certified premium rPP regranulate for the production of EPP with recyclate content (EPP-RE).
Plastics processing (extrusion, degassing, filtration)
Processing of even problematic materials with C-VAC degassing and Maag/Ettlinger melt filter.
Sites
Eschwege
DEProduction site (central regranulation, plastics processing and recycling system)
- Materials
- EPP, EPE, EPS, PP, PE
- Starlinger plastics processing and recycling system with C-VAC degassing
- Maag/Ettlinger melt filter
- Laboratory
- Compactors (decentralised, 25 units)
Kassel
DESite (administration/contact)
Parts
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EPP/EPE/EPS foam recycling into colour-sorted regranulatesPlastics | – | – | – | – | EPP, EPE, EPS |
| EPP take-back system (LION 400) for load carriersPlastics | – | – | – | – | EPP, EPE, EPS |
| Granulation & filtrationPlastics | – | – | – | – | EPP, EPE, EPS, PP, PE |
| Laboratory (quality testing of plastics)Testing | – | – | – | – | EPP, EPE, EPS, PP, PE |
| Full-service recyclingPlastics | – | – | – | – | EPP, EPE, EPS |
| EPE recycling / densification (pressing, payload approx. 22 t per truck)Plastics | – | – | – | – | EPE |
| Regranulation of PCR material incl. filtration of foreign matter (paper, metal, rubber)Plastics | – | – | – | – | PP, PE |
4 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plastics processing and recycling system | Starlinger recycling technology with C-VAC degassing module | 1 | – | 2023 | Eschwege |
| Melt filter | Maag/Ettlinger | 1 | – | 2023 | Eschwege |
| LION 400 container (EPP take-back system, indoor/outdoor, with block separation system) | General Industries LION 400 Container | – | Capacity approx. 1-2 tonnes per shift | – | Customer site |
| Compactors (decentralised densification) | – | 25 | – | – | Europe-wide / Eschwege |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality
Every material undergoes testing in its own laboratory to ensure consistent quality of the plastics. The PCR recyclates are certified according to EuCertPlast and RecyClass; traceability across the entire recycling process and the supply chain is documented.
| Evidence | Kassel | Eschwege |
|---|---|---|
| EuCertPlast | ||
| RecyClass (PCR streams) |
History
- 2015
Founding/certified waste management company (2025: ten years as a certified waste management company without an exact founding year)
- 2020
Partnership with JSP International for an EPP circular economy in the automotive sector (approx. 4,500 t/a); takeover of EPP containers in France, Poland and Italy announced
- 2021
EPE circular project with Wetropa; processing of EPE production residues into regranulate in Eschwege
- 2023
EuCertPlast certification of the PCR recyclates; commissioning of the new Starlinger system in Eschwege (May), volume nearly doubled, 20 new jobs
- 2024
Launch of ARcycle (premium rEPP) at PRSE 2024; RecyClass-certified PCR streams; JSP approval for EPP-RE
- 2025
Start of the industrial initiative EPP LOOP; Jens Grunwald strengthens the strategic direction