Plastic waste knows no borders.

The artificial waste is distributed even in the most remote places in the world.

Huge amounts of plastic bottles, bags and other objects pollute the oceans.

A company like Heraeus cannot do anything about the fact that plastic waste is thrown away carelessly.

But the Hanau-based company wants to make its contribution to the recycling of used bottles made of polyethylene terephthalate, known as PET.

As announced by Heraeus, the technology group is entering the PET recycling business with the acquisition of Perpetual Technologies.

Luise Glaser-Lotz

Correspondent for the Rhein-Main-Zeitung for the Main-Kinzig district.

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According to the information, the Heraeus Group has taken a majority stake in Perpetual Technologies, based in Kleinostheim in the Aschaffenburg district.

The Lower Franconian company just across the Hessian-Bavarian border will be renamed Revalyu Resources GmbH because of the takeover.

It is an "innovation-driven company" and fits perfectly into the Heraeus portfolio, says Jan Rinnert, CEO and CEO of Heraeus Holding in Hanau.

The aim is to develop the company into one of the largest and most technologically advanced PET recycling companies in the world.

PET is a thermoplastic polymer resin and belongs to the polyesters.

It is not only used in plastic bottles, but also in fibers for clothing, textiles,

Joint venture with BASF

Initially, yarns for the textile industry are to be obtained from the PET bottles.

The company has developed its own chemical recycling process for this purpose.

According to Heraeus, Revalyu employs around 300 people and already supplies well-known customers from all over the world.

These include Adidas, H&M and Puma.

The production site for the yarns is in Nashik, India.

The founders are also from India.

However, the head office is in Kleinostheim.

Heraeus intends to invest an amount in the mid three-digit million euro range over the next few years in expanding Revalyu's business.

Other locations are also planned.

"Our goal is to recycle 100 million used PET bottles every day by 2026, which will be a big step towards solving the PET problem,"

Heraeus is also involved in precious metal recycling.

In February, Heraeus and BASF founded a joint venture in China with equal shares for each of the two partners.

Used vehicle catalytic converters are recycled.

The extracted precious metal is used by high-tech industries in China.

The new company, named BASF HERAEUS (China) Metal Resource Co., Ltd.

located in Chinese Pinghu.

The start of operations is scheduled for completion of the necessary new construction work in 2023.

According to Heraeus, China has only limited natural resources of platinum, palladium and rhodium and is dependent on imports.

The recycling of waste material, for example used car catalytic converters, to recover platinum metals should enable a circular economy.

The precious metals would be used to manufacture new products for the automotive, chemical, electronics and green hydrogen industries.

According to Heraeus, recycled precious metals are environmentally friendly and have a CO2 footprint that is up to 90 percent lower than primary metals from a mine.

Ensuring a local supply of recycled precious metals to China is a enabler for a sustainable future.

BASF's Catalysts division is the world's leading supplier of environmental and process catalysts.

It has expertise in developing technologies to protect the air, produce fuels, and efficiently manufacture a variety of chemicals, plastics, and other products, including battery materials.

BASF also develops its own catalysts.

The technology group Heraeus, based in Hanau, describes itself as one of the world's leading family-owned portfolio companies.

The roots of the company go back to a pharmacy run by the family since 1660.

A large number of businesses in the fields of environment, electronics, health and industrial applications are bundled today.

In the 2020 financial year, a total turnover of 31,