A facility with big visions

Increased circularity – more than deposit flows Returpack’s vision is to be as circular as possible. We are constantly investigating how we could redirect new fractions from incineration to material recycling.
“Since March 2023, we have been packaging and selling label material for which we previously had no outlet. During 2023, a total of 66 tonnes of labels have gone to material recycling rather than incineration,” says Kjell Petersson, Factory Manager at Returpack. The labels are transported by our new electric truck to our customer in Örebro – a mode of transport that is ideally suited to the lightweight label material.

“Looking ahead, we want to work even more with sorting higher up the flow – can we capture materials such as adhesive and beverage residues that are currently sorted as combustible waste? We want to be able to recycle more residual fractions in-house, refining them so that they can be directed into the main flows. The important thing is precisely this, to redirect materials from incineration to material recycling and to make the best possible use of resources,” says Kjell Petersson. Looking ahead, there are more such investment plans.

New permit under the Environmental Code

At the end of 2022, Returpack received a new operating permit under the Environmental Code. As a result, 2023 was the first full year with the new permit, which, among other things, imposes stricter requirements as regards discharges to water. The business has had to implement measures in this respect, in order to satisfy the new limit values that are stipulated. Another area that has been worked on extensively during 2023 is littering. To prevent labels and other elusive material from spreading in the wind, a 3.5 metre tall, fine-mesh fence has been erected around our facility. Cleaning routines have also been updated, targeted cleaning initiatives have been implemented and the number of patrols has been increased to detect any littering as early as possible.

More recycled plastic

During the year, three old PET presses and two plastic sorting machines were replaced. With the improved sorting process, more clear plastic bottles will end up in the right place, where they can be turned into new bottles.

To meet the increased demand for recycled material from beverage producers, Veolia PET Svenska has invested in new production equipment in 2023. The company rents its premises from Returpack, which is helping out by expanding the property by around 350 square metres.

Thanks to the investment in new equipment and the expansion, the capacity for the production of foodapproved recycled plastic material will be almost doubled by 2025. Since 2020, we have also been sorting PET packaging from Finland’s deposit system in our facility.

Towards 2024

In 2024, Returpack’s structural focus will be on achieving good order as well as improvements to procedures designed to ensure even higher material quality. The energy issue is another area that is consistently prioritised.
Continually working on energy efficiency improvements, better energy choices and maximising the utilisation of the plant’s solar cells are important elements in the pursuit of an increasingly resource-efficient whole.