Among the first in Europe to chemically recycle plastic packaging

Grønt Punkt Norge, which runs the recycling company Plastretur, and chemical recycling company Quantafuel AS have signed a contract for the delivery of up to 10,000 tonnes of plastic packaging waste, becoming some of the first in Europe to chemically recycle plastic packaging material.

Plastretur will deliver between 7,000 and 10,000 tonnes of plastic packaging from Norwegian households to Quantafuel, for chemical recycling into raw materials to produce new plastic products. Easily explained, the chemical process is to convert the used plastic into gas and then upgrade the gas to petrochemical raw material at Quantafuel´s plant in Denmark. Subsequently, the product will be recycled to new plastic by the chemical giant BASF. This gives the plastic a quality that can be used in e.g. food packaging, avoiding the limitations in ordinary mechanical material recycling.

Quantafuel is a Norwegian company with its first plant located in Skive, Denmark, in a green industrial park with extended focus on circular economy chains.

Norwegian recycling company GemiNor is also participating in the project, and will be responsible for developing a sorting line especially tailored to Quantafuel's needs. The purpose is to utilize as much plastic packaging as possible for chemical recycling.

- This project ensures that as much as 10,000 tonnes of plastic packaging from Norwegian households can be recycled in our plant and become new plastic products, says Thomas Steenbuch Tharaldsen, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Sustainability.

- This is a pioneering project in chemical recycling and will show Europe how to achieve the ambitious targets set in the EU for plastics recycling. Grønt Punkt Norge is leading the way for Norway, and we are confident that other European countries will follow, says Tharaldsen.

This test project will be important for documenting chemical recycling in a sustainability perspective. The parties will map the origin of the plastic waste, the alternative use of the plastic and the percentage of the plastic waste that is processed into new raw material for new plastic products. The findings will be summarized in a report to the Norwegian Environment Agency, which also has been consulted in the project. The Agency has confirmed that chemical recycling, where the chemical feedstock goes into new plastic production, is defined as recycling on the same level as mechanical recycling.

- We have a unique opportunity to follow the plastic waste through a Nordic value chain and document the extent of closing the recycling loop of plastic, says Tharaldsen.

- The goal is to gain even more knowledge, the highest possible utilization of resources and the greatest possible environmental benefit. Chemical material recycling through pyrolysis is the technology with the greatest potential to solve the plastic problems in Europe.

During the Corona pandemic, far more plastic packaging from households is collected. This is a major challenge in a market with low demand and scarce capacity in sorting facilities. Plastretur, operated by Grønt Punkt Norge, is therefore thrilled reaching this agreement.

- Innovation prevails during times of crisis. Delivering collected household plastic packaging for chemical recycling rather than sending some of it to energy utilization is very good news for the environment, says Svein Erik Rødvik, recycling manager at Grønt Punkt Norge.

- As the first country in Europe, we are looking forward to analyzing the data and volumes of chemical recycling, he concludes.

For more information or further comments, please contact the CEO of Quantafuel, Kjetil Bøhn, tel: +47 915 73 818, email: kjetil.bohn@quantafuel.com 

Svein Erik Rødvik, head of recycling in Grønt Punkt Norge, tel. +47 400 38 170, email: svein.erik@grontpunkt.no

Kari-Lill Ljøstad, Head of Communications Grønt Punkt Norge, tel. +47 950 63 805, email: kari-lill@grontpunkt.no

Quantafuel AS is a Norwegian technology-driven company that develops, owns and operates plants for the production of high-quality chemicals from plastic waste. Over the past 10 years, Quantafuel has developed patented technology that converts mixed plastic waste into chemicals that can be used for new plastic production, and therefore helps to increase the material recycling rate in the countries where the company operates.

Quantafuel will establish several production plants in Europe in collaboration with partners in countries with favorable conditions for circular economy.

Grønt Punkt Norge AS secures and manages financing of the recycling schemes for plastic-, metal- and glass packaging, packaging carton, beverage carton and corrugated cardboard. In addition, Grønt Punkt Norge AS manages the collection and recycling of plastic packaging, packaging carton and beverage carton on behalf of the approved materialcompanies Plastretur AS and Norsk Returkartong AS. If your company is a member of Grønt Punkt Norge, you can rest assured that your company's environmental responsibility is fulfilled in accordance with the waste regulations.

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