Sweden is taking the next step in plastics recycling and celebrated the expansion of Svensk Plaståtervinning's polymer sorting plant. The facility, originally opened in 2019, was built in collaboration with Sutco and is equipped with TOMRA's sorting technologies. Mattias Philipsson, CEO of Svensk Plaståtervinning, invested in the expansion of the facility to close the plastic loop and enable zero waste. Thanks to state-of-the-art sorting systems and the know-how of the world's leading companies in the recycling industry, the facility is expected to process 42 tons of material per hour and recover 12 different types of plastic from mixed plastic packaging waste.
"Around 33% of plastic packaging in Sweden is recycled, but unfortunately a lot of recyclable material is still lost. There is great potential here that we want to exploit. Since 2019, we have successfully recovered 4 different types of plastics that can be further recycled. Today, with the latest technology, we can go one step further and achieve our goals," explains Philipsson. The corresponding goals are "no waste", "no downcycling" and "no emissions".
Oliver Lambertz, VP and Head of Operations and Feedstock Sourcing at TOMRA Feedstock, comments: "We have supported Svensk Plaståtervinning from the beginning and greatly appreciate being part of this important project. Our partner Sutco was in the lead in the construction of the facility, and we "Provided all the state-of-the-art sorting technology necessary to maximize material recovery. The facility we see here today is the result of work by three partners towards a common goal: closing the loop on plastic packaging."
Technological drivers
Site Zero has more than 60 advanced TOMRA AUTOSORT™ deployed across an impressive 5km sorting line. The sorting systems can achieve high throughputs and process up to 42 tons of recyclables per hour. In addition, the post-consumer waste is then separated into 12 different polymer types, including a variety of polyolefins, PET, PS, EPS, PVC and more. Thanks to the combination of sorting technology and a well-thought-out sorting process, purity levels of up to 98% can be achieved. The clean material fractions are currently being further processed by recyclers in the EU. In the long term, however, Site Zero aims to build up recycling capacities in order to further process the main fractions on site.
"We are pleased that we have such strong and competent partners at our side. The collaboration in our first project has already convinced us of TOMRA and Sutco. It is the quality and flexibility of their systems as well as the reliable service that make them our partners "Together we want to make Site Zero a sorting facility with a role model function in Europe," explains Philipsson.
