Increased recycling for a more resource efficient society implies needs for smart solutions for collecting and recycling materials. Several innovative solutions can be found in Östergötland.
In Östergötland companies and residents work together in order to manage waste in the best possible way. The residents separate their waste at source which means that the waste is separated according to material types including paper, plastic, glass, metal, organic waste etc. The material fractions are disposed at the nearest waste disposal site which can be found nearby most homes, public spaces and workspaces in order to increase the degree of sorted waste disposal. Separation of materials increases the potential of recycling which Östergötland offers many solutions within. Some of them are highlighted below.
Collection and separation of materials
San Sac AB is a company in Linköping that provides systems for collection and separation of recyclable materials. Target areas include waste disposal sites, public areas and workspaces. Their varied range of products enables the customer to find the optimal sorting solution for their environment. The degree of material separation is higher when the separations is close to the source, therefore a high presence and adapted solutions are important aspect for increased recycling!
Östergötland also provides solutions for recycling of collected materials. Svensk Plaståtervinning located in Motala, Östergötland is a company offering a solution for plastic recycling. The company offers a nationwide system for collecting and recycling of plastic packaging in Sweden to all companies who have an extended producer responsibility which implies that they must ensure that the packaging is collected and recycled. They have built the largest and most efficient plant for plastic recycling in Europe and thereby taken a big step towards their goal of recycling 100 % of all plastic packaging in Sweden. The company aim to recycle 55 % of all plastic packaging by 2025.
The Swedish deposit system for metal cans and PET bottles
Several companies in the region are specialized in material recycling. In 1984 the company Returpack created the nationwide deposit system which today includes metal cans and recyclable PET bottles for beverage. The customer pays a small deposit fee when acquiring a metal can or a PET bottle with beverage. The customers will get their deposit back when recycling the cans and bottles in Returpack’s return machines which can be found in many supermarkets, cafés, sports clubs etc. The recycling plant in Norrköping receives all the returned cans and bottles which are processed into new cans and bottles. In 2018 Returpack received 2 billion cans and bottles for recycling which is about 85 % of all consumed metal cans and PET bottles for beverage. A resource efficient system for a more sustainable future!
The plants and the companies can be visited in Östergötland.
