PLASTIC RECYCLING ON A ROLL
With new ways of separating and processing, recycled plastic has the potential to be a valuable resource in the same way as metals already are. Stena Recycling and Technoworld are planning several projects involving the development of plastic recycling, which will create completely new sustainable values, in collaboration with the business community and local authorities.
“The prerequisites for plastic recycling are changing rapidly. Technology development is dynamic, the demands on clean raw materials in the world around us are intensifying and we have a common sustainability ambition with our customers. The goal laid down by Stena is to recycle and sell substantially large volumes of recycled plastic granules in the future”, says Mats Ottosson, Head of Operations at BA Recycling, who heads the Strategic Forum Plastics, which studies how the Stena Metall group should develop the recycling of different types of plastic.
Plastic has an undeservedly bad reputation as a throwaway material. Every year, several million tons of plastic waste are produced in Europe. Only a fraction is recycled. But correctly used, plastic has numerous advantages and the potential exists to transform plastic waste into a valuable recyclable resource just like many metals.
Today, customers are showing greater interest than before in recycling plastic. At the same time, several global brands are signalling that they will increase their usage of recycled plastic in the near future. Possible buyers of Stena’s plastic granules are, for example, IKEA and Trioplast, one of the largest manufacturers of plastic film and carrier bags in Europe.
“Recycling plastic is extremely complex. But as a leading recycler, we have decided to participate and lead developments. Thanks to our size and our considerable expert knowledge, we can take on this challenge. With Stena Nordic Recycling Center in Halmstad as our base, we will be making new process investments in the near future to increase our volume of plastic recycling”, says Mats Ottosson.
Recycling plastic creates large sustainable values throughout the chain – at manufacturers all over the world and at Stena. Increased recycling is also supported by the EU’s new plastic strategy, which was recently adopted. A lot is currently being done to drive plastic recycling towards completely different levels than before. Together, we can conserve resources and reduce the environmental impact in new ways.
| A LEADER IN PLASTIC RECYCLING | Through the years, Stena has developed the recycling of certain plastics. The separation of different plastics from electronics is a good example. Stena is one of the few players in Europe with a sustainable solution for separating flame retardant plastic where environmentally hazardous brominated substances are used. Pure, recycled plastic is supplied as a raw material for new vacuum cleaners and other electronics. |
