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GRUPO ECOLOGICAL OPTS FOR LINDNER RECYCLING TECHNOLOGY

Grupo Ecological, a Brazilian recycling company based in Limeira, west of São Paulo, operates two plastic recycling lines that transform challenging post-consumer and post-industrial plastics into high-quality regranulate. With two Lindner Micromat shredders and a Lindner Washtech washing line, the facility ensures consistent throughput and high-quality plastic flakes. In collaboration with Unilever, they produced the first caps made entirely from recycled post-consumer plastics, enabling Unilever to achieve its 2025 global sustainability target ahead of schedule—a testament to Grupo Ecological’s expertise and Lindner’s advanced recycling technology.

Sustainability, quality, and an optimal cost-benefit balance within a true circular economy define the core values of Grupo Ecological, a Brazilian company. Established in 2012, it builds on the extensive expertise of its predecessor, which had been processing plastics since the 1970s. “Sustainability has been central to Grupo Ecological from the very beginning,” says Fábio Kühl, the company’s founder and circular economy advocate. “Our mission has always been to offer sustainable, cost-effective solutions in recycled raw materials, waste management, and sustainability consulting.”

Over a decade since its founding, Grupo Ecological has become a leading specialist in recycling post-consumer and post-industrial plastics. As a producer of high-quality recyclates, the company plays a crucial role in fostering a robust circular economy. “We fully embrace our socio-ecological responsibility,” says founder Fábio Kühl. “This commitment inspired the creation of our #circularsustentável programme.” The initiative focuses on converting post-consumer plastics into premium recyclates, which are then used to produce high-quality products made entirely from recycled materials. This approach, exemplified by their collaboration with Unilever, delivers mutual benefits for the economy and the environment.

Grupo Ecological – success with #circularsustentável
The collaborative project with Unilever stands out as a success story for the #circularsustentável programme. In August 2022, after two years of joint in-depth research, Unilever launched the first caps in Brazil made from 100 % recycled post-consumer recyclate for its Silk and TRESemmé brands. The Rexona, Seda and Comfort brands followed a little while after and were furnished with the same recycled caps, keeping 700 tonnes of plastic recyclate in the loop annually. What’s more, Unilever was able to reach its 2025 global objective to use at least 25 % recycled plastic in its packaging three years earlier than planned. A huge success for Unilever as well as for Grupo Ecological. “Producing recyclate to be used in the cosmetics industry means it requires a high degree of purity, consistent quality as well as it needing to be odourless and virtually neutral in colour,” Kühl explains. “A standard that we are able to achieve thanks to our Lindner washing and recycling plant.”

Recycling technology from Lindner – performance to impress
Fábio Kühl and his team came across Lindner’s technology at a plastics trade show in Brazil. They then visited reference facilities and operating lines that used Lindner shredders and washing lines. Subsequent material tests performed using Lindner plants ultimately resulted in purchasing the first and now second Micromat 1500 along with the washing components from Lindner Washtech. 

Fabio Kühl, founder and CEO of Grupo Ecological in front of one of the Lindner Micromat 1500. 
Photo by LINDNER-RECYCLINGTECH GMBH

By using two Micromat series shredders, the company can now process post-industrial material such as BOPP (biaxially oriented polypropylene), Big Bag waste and post-consumer materials made from BOPP and polypropylene raffia (Rafi-PP). A low proportion of fine material is also important along with the throughput and resistance to contaminants. When dealing with heavily contaminated materials, such as post-consumer plastics, the downstream washing and drying processes are crucial to the quality of the flakes, which will end up being used to produce the recyclate. “Our production includes two different recycling lines, one to process post-industrial plastics and another to recycle post-consumer plastics. When processing the post-industrial material, the plastic flakes coming out of the shredder are sent directly to the extruder whereas the post-consumer recycling line incorporates the Lindner Washtech washing components in between these machines,” says Kühl.  “The Micromat series of Lindner shredders represent the key component of our lines and they are pivotal to our production capacity. They are extremely reliable, even when handling tough materials, and offer an impressively high, consistent throughput with a screen size that ensures 90 % of the output is shredded to < 25 mm. We process up to 800 tonnes of plastic a month – so reliability is of paramount importance. Throughout the years Lindner has been, and continues to be, a reliable partner on our path to success.”

The collaborative project of Unilever Brazil and Grupo Ecological serves as a global reference. In 2023 alone, Unilever could increase the proportion of post-consumer plastics in its packaging from 27 % to 37 %. “Fabio Kühl and his team have shown with this project that, given the right technology, it is entirely possible to produce high-quality recyclate from post-consumer plastics and for this recyclate to fulfil the strict criteria of the cosmetics and food industry,” says a pleased Frederico Hartmann, CEO of Lindner LATAM, about Grupo Ecological’s success. The caps, manufactured from 100 % recycled post-consumer plastics, are produced for Unilever’s Personal Care business group as well as being used in the company’s Nutrition division for ketchup bottles. “We have collaborated with Fabio Kühl for many years and so it is particularly pleasing to see such a positive outcome of this project and that our shredding and washing expertise is used efficiently in connection with the circular economy.” 

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