NEWS


New ELV study looks at biomass


New research by Swiss university ETH Zurich in collaboration with technology partners BASF and BEST has investigated an alternative route for mixed plastic waste streams from end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) by recy- cling it alongside biomass. The results from tests conducted earlier this year show the recycling of 1 kg of automotive shredder residues with 3 kg of biomass reduces greenhouse gas emis- sions by more than 3 kg CO2-eq when compared to incineration, findings that may have consider- able implications as the EU prepares new legisla- tion around ELVs. While legislation


already exists to support gasification of bio-waste there is no comparable support for recycling plastic waste streams via gasification, said BASF. � www.basf.com � https://ethz.ch


Advanced packaging recycling facility opens


The Områ facility in Norway, which is jointly owned by Tomra (65%) and Plastretur (35%), opened this month with the capacity to process 90,000 tonnes/yr of plastics packaging waste. The operation uses


Tomra’s technology to sort mixed plastics streams into ten separate fractions, including PE, PP, PET and other materials. “This innovation closes the loop for plastics and represents one of the most advanced installations of its kind globally,” said Tomra. The new facility is located


at Holtskogen, just outside Oslo, and will offer offtake solutions for municipalities and waste management companies considering the introduction of automated mixed waste sorting, which Tomra described as “a crucial step for increasing recycling rates without depending solely on household source separation”. Approximately one-third of Norway’s plastic packag-


Mixed plastics streams are sorted into ten separate fractions at the Områ facility in Holtskogen, Norway


ing waste is recycled and the rest is mostly inciner- ated, according to Tomra. “Områ is more than a facility – it’s a missing link in Europe’s circular economy,” said Tove Andersen, President and CEO of Tomra. “This facility has the capacity to receive and transform all of Norway’s household plastic packag- ing waste into recyclable fractions, essentially closing the loop for plastics. It is a


cornerstone piece of infrastructure providing reliable offtake for mixed waste sorting facilities, and can help recover more resources from source separated material.” Around 300 guests were


present during the official opening of the Områ facility at Holtskogen, including municipal representatives, recyclers, brand owners, NGOs, and policy experts. � https://omraa.no


Novoloop and Shanghai Huide collaborate in TPU


Novoloop and Shanghai Huide have announced a strategic partnership to scale production of Novoloop’s Lifecycled thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), based on hard-to-recycle waste. The collaboration was formalised through a five-year Contract Manufac- turing Agreement establishing long-term clarity on supply, pricing, and quality standards. “This partnership marks a major step forward in making circular TPU


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commercially viable at scale,” said Novoloop CEO Miranda Wang. “By teaming with a world-class polyure- thane producer like Huide, we can offer dependable quality, traceability, and cost stability, all essential for broad adoption.” The companies have successfully


already produced batches of Lifecy- cled 67A TPU on commercial reactive extrusion lines using Novoloop’s Lifecycled polyol and formulations,


PLASTICS RECYCLING WORLD | November/December 2025


which have met all in-spec quality and performance requirements, confirming the viability of scaling TPU production with circular inputs. Under the terms of the agreement,


the partners will also establish Global Recycled Standard traceability and reporting, while laying a framework to onboard additional grades of Lifecy- cled TPU. � www.novoloop.com � https://en.shhdsz.com


www.plasticsrecyclingworld.com


IMAGE: TOMRA


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