TECNOPLAST Interview April 3, 2022
Promeco SpA is an Italian company based in Como that builds, on its own technology, plants and machinery for recycling waste in general with production of energy or new finished products.
Founded in l996, it has always operated in the green economy sector with an offering aimed at plastics recycling, and more. Tecnoplast interviewed Paolo Rebai, owner.
Paolo Rebai - owner and forerunner of Promeco SpA technology.
Two years of pandemic, market impressions: opportunity, challenge and/or problems?
For us at Promeco, despite the pandemic, production and sales for the past two years have been up sharply. We have not encountered any significant problems, beyond those in logistics, which are still present today, and, fortunately, we have not suffered any personnel losses. Our growth has been possible firstly because of a passionate and highly competent team with a clear predisposition to handle innovation and the unexpected on a daily basis, and secondly because we have always favored nationalized and loyal sourcing. At the general market level, we believe that current geopolitical tensions and the continuing difficulty in obtaining raw materials are beginning to be a concern today. Add to this the impact of higher costs resulting from gas price increases, in Italy with greater repercussions than in other European states, given the preponderance of electricity generated by methane-fired power plants. Should the current situation result in significant increases on the sales lists of domestic supply chains, there will be a clear repercussion on the competitiveness of Italian industry at the level of international markets.
Certainly, the continuation of the current Russian-Ukrainian war will lead to an acceleration of the ecological transition, and in this sense Promeco feels ready for the challenge with its many plant offerings not only in the field of plastics (by way of example, chemical recycling and the optimization of anaerobic digestion pretreatment), plant solutions that contribute to the diversification of energy sources and ensure sustainable growth. Given the very high level of technological offerings in Italy, it is our hope that the government can simplify the regulatory and administrative framework and thus streamline the bureaucratic processes associated with plant construction.
Sustainability is becoming increasingly central for companies-how do you approach this?
We want there to be full awareness internally within our company of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals outlined in the UN 2030 agenda as well as the European Green Deal directives.
That is why we have planned a self-assessment process with an initial assesment focusing on 8 different corporate thematic areas: governance and compliance, economic performance, circular economy, environmental management, people, labor relations and diversity, responsibility to customers, suppliers and supply chain, local community and territory.
Our goal is to develop our own sustainable development program in the name of a circular economy to achieve sustainability in terms of consumption and production.
Will you participate in the K fair in Düsseldorf? Will you be presenting new or special products?
We have confirmed our traditional presence at the K fair in Düsseldorf. We will confirm our proximity to customers with ad hoc and technologically advanced product offerings. We will make our expertise available to visitors to assess their specific needs and identify the best sustainable, cost-effective and technologically advanced solutions.
We will promote solutions for mixed plastics recycling, plasmix valorization, chemical recycling plant and a new plant as an alternative to the traditional washing plant, which involves dry cleaning of plastics. A totally sustainable solution for the production of granule from film, but with a compact plant line, eliminating water consumption, with low maintenance and investment costs and undeniable energy savings.
Promeco has recently participated in other international trade shows, which ones?
Promeco's activities do not end in the plastics sector, but extend to waste recycling in general. So we have taken part in fairs such as Ecomondo in Rimini and the US Compost Council in Texas. We will participate in the Waste Expo in Las Vegas and the IFAT trade show in Munich where we will present our latest recycling solutions such as plants for the production of wood fiber with maximum C02 reduction, plants for the valorization of organic waste with alternative energy production along with the latest plant line developed for the production of paper fiber from cardboard recycling.
The shortage has strongly impacted Italian and global manufacturing production: your comment and any repercussions on your production as well.
Against a backdrop of domestic and foreign demand that remains favorable, we encounter criticalities in the procurement of raw materials. However, having retained suppliers is supportive and allows us to be positive for the current year as well. We hope that the government will be able to provide itself with a commission to define extraordinary measures in order to identify new sources of supply of raw materials, calming their prices so as to overcome the current blockages caused by the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian conflict.
