Presentation

Mixed waste sorting as a part of Holistic Resource System.

Triedenie zmesového odpadu ako súčasť holistického systému zdrojov.

Annotation

Every day worldwide, thousands of tonnes of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions could be avoided with technology that exists today. All we need is for policymakers and stakeholders placed more value on recovering recyclable plastics from municipal solid waste before it is sent to incineration or landfill.

For decades, society has become disillusioned with plastics due to the lack of Holistic Resource Systems that ensure materials are collected, recycled, and reused. Deposit return systems and separate collections have boosted recycling rates and even helped reduce litter in the environment. Still, a backstop is urgently needed to prevent plastics mixed into everyday household and municipal waste from being buried or burned.

There has never been a greater demand for recycled content in the marketplace, and the trend is expected to continue. Yet common misconceptions about ‘dirty’ and contaminated plastic waste prevent momentous change that can significantly reduce global GHG emissions. Mixed waste sorting combined with advanced mechanical recycling unlocks the key to recovering and producing high-quality, odor-free recycled feedstocks. There are also available case studies which will be shared as a proof to the concept.

Finally, it is possible to create virgin-like recycled plastic from one of the world’s most abundant resources – municipal solid waste.

Lecturer’s Profile

Anna Sapota, Ph.D.

Vice President Public Affairs for Eastern Europe North at TOMRA Group, a provider of collection and sorting technology solutions used in the food, mining and waste management industries. As part of her professional responsibilities for the TOMRA Group, she is responsible for shaping the Group’s stance towards legislative changes in the broad field of environmental protection and waste management and for maintaining relations with public administration bodies and market stakeholders. She assumed her current position in 2020, having previously been responsible for organisational and legal issues and government relations at a packaging recovery organisation, part of a group of companies involved in the production of metal and glass packaging. She received a Ph.D. degree in law at the Jagiellonian University and a master’s degree in international law at the University of Orléans.

Organization’s Profile

TOMRA was founded on an innovation in 1972 that began with the design, manufacturing and sale of reverse vending machines (RVMs) for automated collection of used beverage containers. Today TOMRA provides technology-led solutions that enable the circular economy with advanced collection and sorting systems that optimize resource recovery and minimize waste in the food, recycling and mining industries and is committed to building a more sustainable future.

Altogether TOMRA has over 100,000 installations in over 80 markets worldwide and had total revenues of about 10.9 billion NOK in 2021. The TOMRA Group employs roughly 4,600 people globally, and is publicly listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange. (OSE: TOM).

For further information about TOMRA, please see www.tomra.com