Norway’s Områ facility, jointly owned by TOMRA and Plastretur, revolutionizes plastic recycling with advanced sorting technology and 90,000-tonne annual capacity.
The official inauguration of “Områ”, a cutting-edge plastic sorting and recycling facility jointly owned by TOMRA (65%) and Plastretur (35%), marks a major milestone in Norway’s circular economy and waste management landscape. Positioned just outside Oslo at Holtskogen, the new facility is designed to process up to 90,000 tonnes of plastic waste annually, turning discarded packaging into consistent polymer fractions ready for recycling and reuse.
At the heart of Områ’s operations is advanced sensor-based sorting technology that enables the precise separation of mixed plastic waste into ten distinct monofractions, including polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polystyrene (PS). This technology allows for higher purity in recycled materials and maximizes recovery efficiency. The system represents one of the most sophisticated and innovative installations globally, setting a new benchmark for plastic recycling infrastructure.
According to Tove Andersen, President and CEO of TOMRA, Områ is far more than a standard recycling plant. “Områ is more than a facility — it’s the missing link in Europe’s circular economy,” Andersen remarked. “It has the capability to process all of Norway’s household plastic packaging waste into recyclable material, effectively closing the loop for plastics.” She added that Områ provides a crucial, stable offtake for mixed waste sorting facilities, ensuring that valuable resources are recovered efficiently and returned to the production cycle.
The facility is also seen as a strategic enabler for municipalities and waste management companies that are considering automated mixed waste sorting (MWS) systems. This approach allows for the collection of recyclable materials even when households do not separate waste meticulously. Such innovation is vital to achieving the European Union’s 2030 target, which requires a minimum of 55% of plastic packaging waste to be recycled under the forthcoming Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). Currently, Norway recycles only about one-third of its plastic packaging waste, with most of the remaining portion still being incinerated for energy recovery.
Karl Johan Ingvaldsen, CEO of Plastretur, emphasized the transformative impact of Områ, saying, “This facility sends a clear message to municipalities and the entire plastics value chain: we now have a scalable, high-quality pathway for plastic packaging recycling.” Ingvaldsen noted that Områ provides the necessary infrastructure for meeting EU sustainability goals and advancing a fully circular plastics economy in Norway and beyond.
The official opening ceremony drew over 300 attendees, including local government officials, recyclers, brand owners, environmental organizations, and policy experts. Together, they celebrated a key advancement that strengthens Norway’s leadership in sustainable waste management and positions Områ as a cornerstone of Europe’s resource recovery network.
