Implementation of the modern technology of automatic sorting of municipal selective waste, with the aim of achieving the recycling level required in Poland in 2020-2025

Project description

Ekombud collects municipal, industrial, construction, packaging and other waste in two voivodeships. We had not handled waste sorting before the project was implemented, but – having noted a significant increase of revenues from waste management, we saw a huge economic potential in waste processing. By implementing a separation and treatment process of municipal waste from selective collection under the project, Ekombud has responded to market needs related to PET-type plastic waste recycling. As a result, the recycling products are expected to bring an 80% increase of our revenues.

 An innovative technological line for the sorting of municipal selective waste has been implemented in our plant. To achieve this, we worked with an R&D unit to devise the morphology (composition) structure of waste Ekombud selectively collects. On that basis we have designed the technological line, i.e. selected the optimal technological processes and machines, with the help of the Norwegian project partner, TOMRA Sorting. Next, the partner has provided the sorting systems, i.e. sensor-assisted separators for automatic sorting, which have made possible the separation of PET packaging types and other kinds of plastics. A photovoltaic installation to feed the new line was also purchased.

The PV installation produces 0.05 GWh of renewable energy per year, and the annual reduction of CO2 emissions, estimated on the basis of the machine performance, is 5 680 tons. 20 new jobs have been created. They key result of the projects is 12 700.80 tons of plastic waste processed per year, of which 7 056 tons are recycled, and 5 645 tons are recovered as RDF – refuse derived fuel.