TOMRA and Plastretur have opened a new recycling sorting facility near Oslo, which will process approximately 80% of Norway’s plastic packaging waste by 2030.
Jointly owned by TOMRA (65%) and Plastretur (35%), the Områ facility has the capacity to process 90,000 tonnes of plastic annually, transforming plastic packaging waste into uniform polymer fractions ready for recycling.
Områ uses sensor-based technology to sort mixed plastic waste into ten separate mono-fractions, including polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polystyrene (PS), and others.
“Områ is more than a facility – it’s a missing link in Europe’s circular economy,” said Tove Andersen, president and CEO of TOMRA. “This facility has the capacity to receive and transform all of Norway’s household plastic packaging waste into recyclable fractions, essentially closing the loop for plastics. It is a cornerstone piece of infrastructure providing reliable offtake for mixed waste sorting facilities, and can help recover more resources from source separated material.”
The new facility is tipped to serve as an offtake solution for municipalities and waste management companies considering the introduction of automated mixed waste sorting.
“Områ gives municipalities and the entire value chain a clear signal: there is now a scalable, high-quality route for plastic packaging,” added Karl Johan Ingvaldsen, CEO of Plastretur. “It provides the infrastructure needed to meet EU recycling targets and supports our shared ambition to build a truly circular plastics economy.”
