The inaugural Power of Plastics Forum successfully launched yesterday at CHINAPLAS 2026. This three-day forum has positioned itself as a pivotal platform for industry professionals to explore the latest advancements in plastics recycling and sustainable practices. It is designed to facilitate industry connections while featuring presentations from global experts who are actively transforming the circular economy.

The forum offers the audience a deep dive into innovative recycling technologies, smart processing of recyclates, and AI-driven solutions, all aimed at amplifying sustainability and efficiency in the plastics industry.

Advancements in drive and recycling technologies

Thorsten Kühmann, Managing Director of Plastics and Rubber Machinery at VDMA, opened the forum with a welcome address, setting the tone for a day centered on technological advancements in the plastics recycling sector.

The morning session spotlighted innovations in European recycling technologies that drive closing the loop of plastics. Marcel Moeller, Head of Industry Management at BAUMÜLLER GROUP, presented on high-torque drive systems, emphasizing their critical role in responding to the increasingly stringent demands for energy efficiency in recycling operations.

Moeller detailed how these modern drive technologies not only enhance throughput but also streamline maintenance processes, thereby reducing operational costs. His presentation illustrated practical applications showing the improved machine performance and rapid ROI that new drive systems can deliver, making a compelling case for their integration within recycling facilities.

Ing. Christoph Woess, Director of Global Sales at EREMA ENG. GES.M.B.H., followed with a discussion on the dynamic PET recycling landscape in China. His presentation "Winning with PET in China: Flexible Recycling, Real References, Rapid ROI" focused on the ongoing evolution of flexible recycling solutions in response to the region's regulatory challenges and market demands.

Woess highlighted the significance of real-world references in demonstrating the effectiveness of EREMA's technologies. He presented success stories, such as the tray-to-tray recycling method, showcasing how it enables robust food service packaging solutions while ensuring compliance and circularity in production.

Achieving a circular economy requires both mechanical and chemical recycling. Leveraging over three decades of expertise, KraussMaffei empowers the plastics industry to reach new heights in resource efficiency. Ollie Deng, Technical Sales Manager of the Extrusion Division at KraussMaffei China, elaborated on how their recycling processes are deployed to optimize energy performance and minimize waste. His insights offered a clear roadmap of how these innovations drive efficiency and deliver measurable benefits across diverse applications.

Louis Hoi, Managing Director for Asia Pacific at MAAG ETTLINGER, addressed the challenges of recycling highly contaminated polymers. He introduced the Maag Ettlinger ERF continuous self-cleaning melt filtration technology, highlighting how it boosts throughput and maintains product quality. This solution ensures stable melt pressure, significantly reduces material loss, and minimizes downtime from screen changes.

Hoi shared real-world applications in HDPE, LDPE, and PET recycling, demonstrating the technology's reliability and its potential to turn contaminated feedstock challenges into production opportunities.

Next, Lukas Vogel, Head of Process Engineering, KraussMaffei Extrusion GmbH, examined the extrusion solutions for chemical recycling, including depolymerization of PA6, glycolysis of PET, and pyrolysis of mixed post-consumer polyolefins.

The session concluded with Kelly Xie, Head of TOMRA Sorting Recycling China, who outlined global plastic recycling trends and addressed core industry challenges. She shared how intelligent sorting technology overcomes technical bottlenecks to enable a high-quality, closed-loop plastic economy in China.

Enhancements in recyclate performance and quality

The afternoon session focused on applying recycled materials in production. Chuck Li from Desource Engineering (representing GEISS AG) explored processing recycled thermoplastics in heavy gauge thermoforming. He noted that while recycled content typically reaches 30–40%—and occasionally up to 100%—it introduces unpredictable material behavior and can damage machine components like sensors and surfaces. However, Li emphasized the ecological and economic advantages of this shift, offering strategic solutions to overcome these evolving hurdles.

Amigo An, Application Manager & Account Technologist at PLASMATREAT, introduced the Openair-Plasma® atmospheric plasma technology, designed to enhance adhesion in high-performance plastics. His insights provided actionable strategies for overcoming engineering challenges while ensuring that the essential properties of the materials are preserved.

Maximilian Clüsserath, Managing Director of W&H Indonesia & Vietnam, then focused on sustainable packaging solutions that leverage recycled materials without compromising quality or mechanical properties. He presented W&H's advancements in incorporating recycled PE taken from both post-consumer and post-industrial waste, while maintaining its optical and mechanical properties.

Bowei Fu, Sales Director Film China at Reifenhäuser Plastic Machinery (Suzhou) Co., Ltd., delved into two pivotal trends in blown film extrusion: the use of stretched PE mono-materials to replace BOPET, and the reuse and recycling of plastic materials especially PCR materials. He highlighted Reifenhäuser's patented technologies, which enable the production of high-quality, recyclable stretched PE products.

Dr. Johannes Kilian, VP of Process and Application Technology at ENGEL AUSTRIA, showcased the iQ weight control technology. He detailed how this AI-driven system maintains consistent part weight—even during cavity failure—and enables up to 50% less scrap and 75% faster restarts. Dr. Kilian emphasized that recyclates are not a compromise, but a catalyst for innovation and efficiency

With a strong lineup showcasing the latest trends and technologies in recycling and processing recyclates, this forum provides an invaluable platform for learning and networking. The audience left Day 1 with actionable insights and a renewed determination to implement more efficient and environmentally responsible practices in their organizations.

The Power of Plastics Forum continues today, pivoting to how digitalization and AI are revolutionizing the plastics value chain.