Business case on RECP assessment in "Unigroup" LLC
"Unigroup" is a manufacturer of various plastic products. Established in 2015, the company comprises 40 workers (25 men and 15 women). It spreads across 1.25 hectares and makes the quality of its products a top priority. The production of plastics is based on two methods, blowing and extrusion, and a part of the enterprise's total sales is based on a closed market trade. Here, the supply is sold to other companies under the current owner, in order to satisfy their needs for various plastic products. The enterprise is interested in acquiring new technologies, improving its operational system, reducing emissions and pollutants, and setting forth a better management of plastic waste. Future plans include the expansion to new markets and an overall increase in sales. Motivated to invest in cost reduction and improve product quality, the company participated in the RECP Demonstration Project under EU4Environment (2019-2024). This publication shows the company’s experience reported after the monitoring exercise conducted in 2022-2023.
The RECP assessment examined the production site and identified several RECP options, out of which the following two were prioritized by the company. These include medium and low-cost measures:
RECP Option 1. Applying an anti-adhesive covering on the shafts: This measure would provide protection for the equipment. By eliminating the sticky surfaces from the shafts and cylinders, the speed of materials passing through the equipment can significantly increase. Hence, equipment productivity would increase while costs would decrease. Moreover, instead of an old and inefficient way to ensure anti-adhesive protection (paints and varnishes), carbon additives are a better coating option for the equipment to form an anti-adhesive layer.
RECP Option 2. Production of synthetic fiber (sintepon): This measure would increase the efficiency of the inputs during the production of plastic products, significantly reducing the generated waste. Furthermore, sintepon could be further sold to furniture manufacturing companies on the market.
