From reject to recycling – a feasibility study

To increase the conditions, identification of potential material flows is required, where the volume is large enough for material recycling to be sustainable from an economic perspective. Today, the possibility to evaluate these streams is lacking. Identification of what the streams consist of, as well as the possibility of exploring how these streams can be improved through further sorting and washing at pilot scale or larger, also needs to be investigated further. It is something that is missing in Sweden today.

By developing a state-of-the-art pilot facility for sorting and washing, the opportunity opens up to speed up future development for both mechanical and chemical recycling and increase the material recycling rate from today's 10%.  

''The current situation where only 10% of all plastic sold is recycled as material is unsustainable and therefore this project has been initiated to tackle the challenge. According to the majority of studies, there is significant potential for improvement, but to get there requires collaboration and evaluation of new material streams that can be recycled'', says Johan Landberg, project manager at RISE.

The main purpose of the project is to explore and improve the sorting and washing of plastic waste from four companies: Essity, Fortum, Swedish Plastic Recycling and Renova. The goal is to go from a material stream that goes to incineration to becoming a valuable resource ready for material recycling. 

Time period  2023-11-01 – 2024-09-31

Project participants  Essity AB, Renova AB, Fortum AB, Polyfuels AB, Swedish Plastic Recycling

Total budget  SEK 622,600 

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