Recycling : 10 years Lindner Washtech and Bulgarian plastics recycling company Vadias Recycling are celebrating anniversary

Back in 2013, when the company had already more than 5 years of experience in the industry, Vadias commissioned the first-ever Lindner Washtech washing line, which was then put into operation in 2014, followed by a second unit just a few years later. Erema extruders have been used for granulate production ever since then. To this day, the cooperation between the three companies has always been characterised by trust, high quality and enthusiasm for innovative recycling solutions.

The increased use of plastics in a range of industries, in particular the packaging sector, led to a strong upturn in the recycling industry in the 2010s. Legal provisions, regulations and collection systems began to take shape, the concept of the circular economy and sustainable resource management gained in importance, and the international trade with plastics waste began to grow. Together with Lindner Washtech and Erema, Vadias Recycling recognised the changes on the market and the importance of recycled plastics early on.

From the very start, the focus of Vadias, a plastics recycling company headquartered in Sofia, Bulgaria, was on LLDPE & LDPE packaging film, already produced in large quantities at the time. Essentially, these are plastics and/or packaging materials that today are primarily sourced from the dual system and that generally have a high degree of contamination. In addition to organic residue, most films also come with labels and residue of aluminium film. The process starts with cleaning and processing plastic flakes and continues all the way to extrusion, with the underlying concept, the washing components and the wash quality being crucial factors.

Quality and innovation as the common denominator

The first system for processing packaging film was designed for 1,000 kg/h – the second one, supplied in 2018, for 1,500 kg/h. “For us, the anniversary of Vadias is a special and unique moment. After all, our very first Lindner washing plant went to Bulgaria, and continues to run with all the components we supplied in 2013, which must be due to the excellent maintenance and quality of the components”, says Harald Hoffmann, Managing Director of Lindner Washtech. This is a partnership that has developed in many positive directions over the years. For instance, Vadias played an important role in many Lindner Washtech innovations, such as the Rafter or the Film Examiner. Most of the newly developed products were tested in the field at Vadias.

Lindner and Erema: An early partnership

With the foundation of Blueone Solutions in August 2023, Lindner and Erema made it their goal to adapt their individual process steps in plastics recycling to their mutual requirements in order to use synergies more efficiently. Ten years ago, Vadias first opted for the Lindner Washtech/Erema duo. “With Lindner Washtech and Erema, we put our trust in two brand manufacturers from the word go, and we would certainly do so again from today’s point of view”, says Vasil Asparouhov, then Managing Director of Vadias and responsible for building up and developing the company.

In total, Vadias today processes 4,000 tonnes of raw material and produces 2,850 tonnes of granulate every month. “Our Erema extruders have been part of the recycling process from day one. Since 2019, they are also being used at the Vadias production site in Serbia, which, since 2022, is operated together with a Lindner shredder and Lindner wash components. We are always happy to see just how successful our customers are with our processes and products”, says Clemens Kitzberger, Business Development Manager Post Consumer Recycling at Erema Group, who is proud of this long-standing partnership. “We are very grateful for the long, and most of all constructive, cooperation. The brothers Vasil and Asparouh Asparouhov have always had a hands-on role in the company and, over the last 10 years, have built a fantastic company with their team. I have a lot of respect for their achievement, and, as a company, we are grateful to be part of this success story”, adds Harald Hoffmann.