Jointly owned by TOMRA (65%) and Plastretur (35%), the facility can process 90,000 tonnes of plastic per year, transforming plastic packaging waste into uniform polymer fractions ready for recycling.
Områ uses sensor-based technology to sort mixed plastic waste into ten separate monofractions – including polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polystyrene (PS), and others.
Tove Andersen, President and CEO of TOMRA said: “Områ is more than a facility – it’s a missing link in Europe’s circular economy. 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.”
“Områ gives municipalities and the entire value chain a clear signal: there is now a scalable, high-quality route for plastic packaging,” said 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.”