HAHN GROUP

Over the past 30 years, the HAHN Group has developed into an international company with subsidiaries in Germany, England, France, Canada, Italy, Spain, and USA. With over 500 employees worldwide, we combine all our work steps under one roof - from the selection of recyclable materials and raw material recycling to the finished product. In doing so, we can guarantee maximum precision and care throughout the entire process. This is a crucial prerequisite for the mechanical recycling of mixed plastics and films, as the high-quality recycling of these waste materials involves special challenges. For example, the right selection and composition of the used plastic is key, as each product has its own individual material requirements. In this way, we always ensure the highest quality in every application area with our hanit recycled plastic.

Regardless of which waste plastic we use to make our recycled products - one thing always remains the same, implementing the concept of environmental protection and sustainability in every step of the process. We keep emissions low and try to conserve energy and resources as much as possible in our work across the entire value chain. We are now the leading producer of recycled finished products made from post-consumer plastics. We continuously invest in research and development, not only to improve the recycling rate but also to engineer innovative solutions made from recycled plastic. Recycling existing raw materials conserves natural resources and our environment.

The foundation for our current success was laid in the early nineties when the recycling industry was still in its infancy. Whereas in the past it was simply a matter of disposing of waste, our focus has turned more and more to recycling over the years. We recognized that waste is a valuable raw material that should be used as efficiently as possible in order to responsibly counteract the problem of resource scarcity. By recycling consumed resources, existing raw materials can be reused and returned to the economic cycle. An important step towards today's circular economy was the introduction of the Packaging Ordinance in Germany in 1991, requiring producers and sellers to take back and dispose of packaging.

Ulrich Kossin, who managed a tax consultancy firm in Vreden, Westphalia, until the beginning of the nineties, recognized this new branch of industry as an outstanding opportunity to combine ecological aspects with entrepreneurship. He saw the introduction of the Packaging Ordinance as a chance to invest in a forward-thinking company and play a decisive role in shaping the recycling industry. With tremendous boldness and resolve, he laid the foundation for becoming one of the world leaders in the mechanical recycling of post-consumer mixed plastics by founding HAHN Kunststoffe GmbH in Hunsrück in 1993.

The early years were not easy because the feedstock recycling of plastics was pioneering work. At that time, there were no constant flows of raw materials, suitable production resources or marketable products and sales channels. Yet, Ulrich Kossin and his team weren’t put off by all these challenges. With considerable commitment, passion, and vision, they succeeded in developing a unique process for recycling highly complex mixed plastics. This means when selecting recyclable materials, we are not restricted to single-stream waste, but can also recycle packaging that would otherwise be sent for energy recovery. This efficient use and processing of existing resources still characterizes our company today because we turn yellow bag single-use plastic packaging into long-lasting and high-quality products for a wide range of applications. hanit products, made from recycled plastic are currently used in landscaping, agriculture, construction, and as specialized industrial solutions.