ULRICH KOSSIN
COMPANY FOUNDER HAHN KUNSTSTOFFE
Many people might be fascinated to hear about Ulrich Kossin's path of life, being expelled from his home in Silesia the age of 7 with his family and having to start all over with "nothing". The elementary school student managed to build an internationally operating business, which is now a global leader in the world of plastic recycling.
Ulrich Kossin was a pioneer with intelligence. He began his career as a self-employed tax consultant in Vreden, Westfalia. The creation of products, however, has always fascinated him. The introduction of the German Packaging Regulations of 1991 gave him the impulse to found a plastic recycling company. This lead Ulrich Kossin to manufacture recycled plastic products for the first time in 1993 on the former military air base Hahn in Rhineland-Palatine.
The recycling of plastics was pioneering work: the first 10 years were particularly challenging. This, however, did not stop Ulrich Kossin from doing in what he believed and endure the hard times. In the beginning, the product quality was at times unacceptable, preventing posts and other products from even leaving the company premises. Creating a homogenous mass and good products out of household waste plastics (PP, PE, multilayer, impurities) was challenging - but his enthusiastic employees and Ulrich Kossin found the right path. Comparing the first batches of posts with today's quality still makes us smile.
Ulrich Kossin passed away in 2014, but HAHN Kunststoffe still stays true to its roots and is continuously working on diverting raw materials from the landfills to create useful and durable products for the benefit of the environment.
ABOUT US
We started making products from 100% recycled plastic back in 1993.
Our first manufacturing site was next to Frankfurt-Hahn Airport and we developed hanit®, a unique recycled plastic material with virtually limitless global potential. As well as the original site, we now manufacture in Manchester (UK), Udine (Italy) and Waterloo (Canada). We also have further distribution centers in Germany and Metz (France).
- hanit® – high-quality products made from 100% recycled plastic
- hanit® – cost-effective products with exceptional material properties
- HAHN – innovation and expertise in product research, development and production
- » HAHN – the market leader in terms of market share, product range and delivery capacity
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TRADEMARK
hanit®
E M P L OY E E S
400 employees in eight locations in Europe and North America
B U S I N E S S P R E M I S E S
2,271,185 ft2 , 156,076 ft2 of which is for production and offices
P R O D U C T R A N G E
More than 2,000 products and technical items
C A PAC I T Y
74,000 t of hanit® products processed/manufactured every year
T E C H N I Q U E
We process plastic packaging into agglomerates/pellets. We make products using extrusion, intrusion, pressure and injection molding techniques
K N O W - H O W
All in-house research, development and construction for product design and processing techniques
P E R F O R M A N C E
Customer and market-focused products. Expert advice and customer services. Short delivery times
Q UA L I T Y
hanit® products are suitable for playgrounds. Raw materials tested to DIN EN 71 part 3. Regularly certified with internal and external quality control
THIS IS WHO WE ARE
Founded in 1993, HAHN is a recycling pioneer. We may have started as idealists but we’ve worked hard to become market leaders and experts in our field. With such extensive experience and as a partner of the waste management industry, we produce high-quality products out of 74,000 t plastic packaging waste. Unlike most other recycling companies, our production plants are able to treat and process mixed waste plastics to the highest quality. We don't use water in our cleaning process. This is another example of how we save natural resources and energy in our process. Over the years, we’ve used our processing skill and technical expertise to develop a unique raw material - hanit®.
Our products have been recognized time and time again with certificates and awards from external bodies and institutes. We were the first company in Germany to receive the Green Angel recycling award. We won the Blue Angel in 2005 for environmentally friendly products. Our products are impeccably hygienic and meet the European Standard for Toy Safety. We also received the British RISE award for Sustainable Development in 2018. For us, recycling is serious business and a labor of love. Our environmentally friendly processes are making beautiful products out of waste plastic packaging. Bottle tops become a park bench that will last for decades.
Our commitment to the environment is matched by our 400 staff – all dedicated recyclers. Because where waste cannot be avoided, recycling is the solution.
So always choose products made out of recycled materials and always separate your trash carefully. Together, we can do it!
15
years of experience
0%
installment plan
500+
completed projects
3
offices statewide
Testimonials
