Norwegian sorting machinery manufacturer Tomra (Asker / Norway; www.tomra.com) plans to enable around 40% of the 350m t of plastic packaging produced around the world every year to be collected for recycling by 2030. Announcing the commitment at the “Our Ocean” conference in Oslo / Norway in mid-October 2019, Stefan Ranstrand, the company’s president and CEO, said it was time for “bold action” to solve the marine pollution crisis. Ranstrand said a circular economy for plastic was achievable, “but it requires investment from industry, government and consumers.” He added, “There is clear evidence that recycling infrastructure such as container deposit schemes drive huge improvements in recycling rates, consumer behaviour and reducing pollution.”

Currently, 14% of plastic packaging is captured for recycling, with only 2% of this being recycled in a “closed loop” system. By 2025, Tomra expects its solutions will sort more than 8m t of plastics annually from waste streams at a global level. The company also estimates it will upgrade 2m t of plastics to the quality of virgin material. Ranstrand said the company’s reverse vending machines already collect 40 bn used beverage containers every year.

Tomra has entered into a series of high-profile partnerships including the global Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW; www.endplasticwaste.org), which has pledged around EUR 1.5 bn towards solutions to eliminate plastics waste – see Plasteurope.com of 17.01.2019. The company is also sponsoring and advising an all-female, around-the-world scientific sailing voyage called “eXXpedition”, which set sail this month with the aim of raising awareness about marine litter.