01/04/2021
Joachim Christiani founded the engineering company HTP GmbH and Co. KG 29 years ago. Thanks to the expertise amassed through over 100 built reference
systems, it has long since become the leading engineering office for process and system planning of waste management and recycling projects. It is therefore
clear why, 15 years ago, HTP became a key contact for packaging developers and brand manufacturers in the support of initial studies on packaging recyclability.
The company has focused on recyclability for the past ten years, which first led to separation of the engineering company due to the growing demand and, in 2014, the
establishment of the cyclos-HTP GmbH (CHI for short) institute.
With a specially developed standard, packaging and products are evaluated and certified according to
their recyclability. Thanks to international usage of the standard by brand and packaging manufacturers,
it has established itself as a sought-after industry standard. CHI currently still carries out recyclability
assessments by hand. However, this is set to change in the future. With the newly developed
software tool CHIRA, packaging can be entered into a database specially developed for packaging
developers and companies, and evaluated according to its recyclability. Joachim Christiani is proud of
what he has achieved: “In the future, the programme will be mature enough to create a reliable basis for
packaging evaluations and will then be able to handle even more detailed investigations and research”.
PRE-SORTING WASTE REMAINS IMPORTANT
“Dual waste separation is better than throwing everything into one container and separating it
later," says Joachim Christiani, “for a lot of thinwalled plastic packaging, mixed collection with
household waste represents an additional source of contamination and, while this does not make sorting
more difficult, it hinders high-quality recycling or even makes it impossible”. Pre-sorting waste by
households is the best way to sort and recycle the plastic. Optimising plastic packaging according to
the CHI standard means added value for both the manufacturer and the retailer. Extensive applications
of the certifications across the range and the initiatives taken by companies to raise awareness of
the certification are important factors in corporate strategy. In this regard, Desch is very committed
and consumers are also counting on manufacturers to take responsibility here. The cyclos-HTP logo
is increasingly being perceived as a seal of sustainability.
CYCLOS-HTP INSTITUTE
CHI was founded in May 2014 in Aachen as a company for the classification, testing and verification of
packaging and goods recyclability as well as for research work and developments in this field.
CYCLOS GMBH
cyclos GmbH was founded in 1993 in Osnabrück and is one of the leading consultancies in Germany
in the field of waste and volume flow verification. cyclos employees are specialists in various fields
(engineering/economics, chemistry, biology), which enables an interconnected view of technical, scientific,
legal and business requirements.
HTP GMBH & CO. KG
The engineering office HTP GmbH & Co. KG has been an independent planning and consulting company for
the recycling and renewable energies industry since the early 1990s. The office is the leading technical
service provider for waste disposal and recycling.
