TOMRA and AB Plasta partner to boost film recycling across the Baltics

AB Plasta, a film recycling company under the CEDO Group, has implemented a flexible film recycling line that features Tomra Recycling’s AutoSort SpeedAir and Tomra Insight. Located in Vilnius, Lithuania, the company aims to produce high-purity recyclers while enhancing operational efficiency.

Source: PackagingInsights

Focus on Quality Recyclate

With this new line, AB Plasta is dedicated to sourcing high-quality post-consumer recycled (PCR) film recyclate exclusively from flexible packaging waste.

AB Plasta needed a solution that would enable fully recycled content in its products without compromising on quality. The goal was clear: stable 24/7 operation, high throughput, and exceptional purity levels that meet the standards for direct reuse in consumer products.

^{Michal Bula, Sales Manager, Tomra Recycling}

This strategy leverages raw material optimization and sensor-based sorting technologies.

Sorting flexible packaging waste into high-quality fractions is one of the most complex challenges in plastic recycling, but by adapting the post-consumer input material to our lines and integrating Tomra’s advanced AutoSort SpeedAir as part of a customized sorting process, we managed to overcome these.

^{Danas Poderis, Managing Director, AB Plasta}

Integrated Recycling and Manufacturing

As one of the largest polyethylene recyclers in Central and Eastern Europe, AB Plasta boasts over 60 years of expertise in plastic processing. By integrating recycling and manufacturing within a single facility, the company aims to establish a “fully circular production model.”

This comprehensive approach allows for the processing of both post-consumer and commercial film streams on the same line.

Processing flexible film waste, particularly from multiple European sources, is considered a complex task. The input streams are highly contaminated and varied in material composition, making it difficult to produce recyclates of consistent purity suitable for reuse in new packaging.

^{Tomra Recycling}

The AB Plasta facility produces approximately 35,000 metric tons of recyclate each year, operating around the clock, seven days a week.

Tomra Recycling notes that AB Plasta’s plant now enhances operational efficiency and meets the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation standards. The material is typically low in density and can be sticky due to organic residues and moisture. Tomra Recycling’s AutoSort SpeedAir effectively addresses these challenges by stabilizing the material on the belt, which is vital for achieving high throughput and economic feasibility.

Recently, Tomra Recycling has also patented its food-grade polypropylene and tray-to-tray recycling technologies, alongside introducing nut and wood sorting solutions.