The winners of the 2026 Plastics Recycling Awards Europe were honoured in May during the Plastics Recycling Show Europe (PRSE) in Amsterdam.

The awards recognise outstanding innovation in the field of recycled plastics and the circular economy. The Plastics Recycling Awards Europe are jointly organised by the association of European plastics recyclers Plastics Recyclers Europe (PRE) and the US media company Crain Communications. The awards honour products containing recycled content, technological developments in recycling, and individuals who, in the jury’s opinion, have made a significant contribution to the advancement of European plastics recycling. PRE President Ton Emans emphasised at the awards ceremony that the winning entries demonstrated the importance of innovation for the industry. Particularly at a critical stage in the European plastics recycling value chain, these developments highlighted the progress the industry has made since the awards were launched and the role that plastics recycling plays in a resilient and competitive European economy. Beatriz Santos, Editor-in-Chief of Sustainable Plastics and Chair of the jury, highlighted the wide range and high quality of the entries. Selecting the winners across the seven categories had therefore been a challenging task.
 
The award in the ‘Household and Leisure Product of the Year’ category was won by the all-in-one tool solution ‘L-Boxx Contractor’ from Robert Bosch Power Tools GmbH and LyondellBasell. The jury particularly commended the high proportion of post-consumer recycled material in an everyday product offering clear benefits to the customer.
 
The award for the best construction product of the year went to Neular OÜ for their co-extruded Neular Unlimited T&G Board. The judges praised the product as an example of how recycled plastics can perform effectively even in high-demand construction applications.
 
In the ‘Automotive, Electrical or Electronic Product of the Year’ category, the Eletta Ultra coffee machine from De’Longhi Appliances S.r.l. and Sirmax S.p.A. received the top award as an outstanding practical example of the use of recycled materials in a sophisticated and complex product.
 
The trophy for Plastic Packaging of the Year went to a milk bottle from Parmalat S.p.A., which contains 50 per cent recycled PET. In view of upcoming regulatory requirements, the judges highlighted the solution as a highly relevant packaging innovation that demonstrates how a higher recycled content can be achieved in a mass-market application.
 
The award for Product Technology Innovation of the Year went to the Milsani cup made from recycled polystyrene (PS) by Aldi Nord, Aldi Süd & Hofer in collaboration with Fernholz and Zott. The judges regard this as an innovative solution, particularly in view of the targets of the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) coming into force later this year.
 
In the “Recycling Machinery Innovation of the Year” category, the Volex degassing technology from Erema Engineering Recycling Maschinen und Anlagen GmbH was honoured.
 
Two winners were honoured this year in the “Plastics Recycling Ambassador of the Year” category. Mattias Philipsson, CEO of Svensk Plaståtervinning Site Zero, and Ansgar Thees Ovelgönne, Managing Director of Thees Kunststoffverarbeitung GmbH, received the award for their outstanding work in advancing European plastics recycling.
 
Sources:

• PRE press release (6.5.2026)
• Foto: © PRSE