ARA, Bernegger and Der Grüne Punkt are building a new plastics recycling plant in Upper Austria with an investment volume of 35 million euros.
The high-tech TriPlast sorting plant has been making a significant contribution to the Austrian circular economy since it was commissioned a year ago. Now the owners Altstoff Recycling Austria AG (ARA), Bernegger and Der Grüne Punkt are investing 35 million euros in another plant, which is being built at the same location in Ennshafen and will take plastics recycling to a new level. The Upcycle process developed and patented by ARA and makes it possible to process up to 41,000 tonnes of plastic sorting waste every year. The aim is to, Even more high-quality recyclates, including for sensitive applications such as food packaging in order to strengthen the circular economy and raw material security in Austria and Europe.
By the end of next year, TriPlast is to be enriched by an innovative new feature: The technological centrepiece is the upcycling process developed and patented by ARA for the enrichment of polyolefins, which is already being used in a pilot plant in Pöchlarn, Lower Austria. This means that the sorting residues from the TriPlast output and additional quantities from other sorting plants, which could previously only be used as substitute fuel, can be further processed - for example, because they are too dirty or too small. This increases the yield and recycling rate.
The system also offers a Solution for the reprocessing of composite beverage cartons (PolyAl). With the help of upstream fine sorting, individual plastic fractions can also be purified even more specifically in order to subsequently supply recyclates for high-quality applications: The enriched polyolefin fraction should be suitable for use in the food sector through chemical recycling or, in future, even through mechanical recycling. The expansion will enable up to 41,000 tonnes of sorting waste to be further processed.
TriPlast increases sorting depth to 85 per cent
The high-tech TriPlast sorting system is designed to sort 20 tonnes of material per hour from the Yellow Bag or Yellow Bin, i.e. around 100,000 tonnes per year. The results after one year of operation exceed expectations: The original sorting depth of 80 per cent has been increased to 85 per cent.
„The TriPlast sorting plant is an impressive example of best practice for cross-border initiatives in the circular economy. We are convinced, that strong partnerships such as these can make a significant contribution to Europe's independence from raw materials. TriPlast impressively demonstrates how innovation, technology and cooperation are setting new standards in the recycling of waste. With our system experience, we are jointly creating solutions that not only make ecological and economic sense, but also directly fulfil the requirements of our brand partners - especially with regard to the increasing recycling quotas under the new EU packaging regulation.“
Laurent Auguste, CEO Der Grüne Punkt
„Since its official launch on 1 July 2024, the TriPlast plant has been running excellently. The Sensors detect 24 different waste fractions, analyse them and separate them by type - This enables state-of-the-art sorting. A team of 70 employees is working on site for the circular economy. It pays off that we pull together every day as a joint venture,“ says Kurt Bernegger, Managing Director of Bernegger GmbH.
Source: The Green Dot
