ARA, Bernegger, GreenDot plan plastic recycling facility investment

Altstoff Recycling Austria AG (ARA), Bernegger GmbH and GreenDot, owners of the TriPlast sorting plant in Ennshafen, Austria, have announced a 35-million-euro ($41.2 million) investment in a plastics recycling plant on the TriPlast site.

The facility will use the Upcycle process developed and patented by ARA to process up to 41,000 tons of sorted plastic scrap per year, the partners say, adding that the goal is to supply even more recycled material to customers in Austria and Europe, including for sensitive applications such as food packaging.

The companies say that by the end of 2026, TriPlast will be outfitted with the Upcycle technology for polyolefins, which already is being used in a pilot plant in Pöchlarn, Lower Austria. “This means that the sorting plastic residues from the TriPlast output as well as additional quantities from other sorting plants that could previously only be used as substitute fuel can further be processed,” the companies say.

The partners say the system also offers a solution for processing composite beverage cartons. With the help of upstream fine sorting, individual plastic fractions also can be cleaned in an even more targeted manner to supply recycled materials for different applications. They note that the polyolefin fraction is intended to be suitable for use in the food sector through chemical recycling or, in the future, mechanical recycling. The expansion is expected to enable up to approximately 41,000 tons of sorting residues to be further processed per year.

TriPlast update

The partners say the TriPlast sorting plant, in operation for a year, is designed to sort 20 tons of material per hour, or 100,000 tons per year. The company says the results after one year of operation have exceeded expectations: the original yield of 80 percent has increased to 85 percent.

“TriPlast is a compelling best practice example for cross-border circular economy initiatives,” GreenDot CEO Laurent Auguste says. “We firmly believe that strong partnerships built on pooled expertise can make a decisive contribution to Europe’s resource independence. TriPlast demonstrates how innovation, technology and collaboration can set new benchmarks in waste utilization. With our longstanding experience in system leadership, we are developing solutions that are both environmentally and economically sound, and that directly supports our brand-owner customers in meeting the rising recycling targets outlined in the new EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation.”

Since its official launch on July 1, 2024, the companies say TriPlast has not only operated smoothly, but surpassed expectations. They say its sensors detect 24 different plastic fractions, analyze and sort them by type, enabling “state-of-the-art” separation, and a team of 70 employees work onsite.

“It pays off to pull together daily as a joint venture—for waste management, Austria’s economic future, the environment and the climate,” Bernegger CEO Kurt Bernegger says.