The Nordic’s biggest large-scale plastic waste sorting facility, ReSource Denmark, has been completed. When announced in 2022, the construction project was heralded as a game-changer. In Denmark, some 85% of plastic waste is either incinerated or exported. Meanwhile, the Danish government announced its ambition to recycle 80% of plastic by 2030 - a goal that will come closer to realisation with the commissioning of the new facility. The new plant has the potential to reduce GHG emissions in the country by 520,000 tons between 2024 and 2028.
Eggersmann Anlagenbau completed the new plant, which is designed for the mechanical treatment160,000 tonnes of lightweight packaging waste (LWP) from Denmark and other parts of Scandinavia. After processing at the ReSource plant, the material will subsequently be sent for mechanical or chemical recycling.
At the sorting plant, the input material is separated into eleven different fractions, including LDP, HDPE, PP- and PE-films, composite materials and both magnetic and non-magnetic metals, achieving purity levels of between 90% and 94%, depending on the fraction.
The initial commissioning with material took place in January of this year; installation began in May 2023. Within six months, Eggersmann installed around 140 tonnes of steel and approximately 1.6 km of conveyor belts. In addition to Eggersmann Anlagenbau as the general contractor, BRT HARTNER was also involved in the project as the expert for stationary recycling machines within the Eggersmann Group.
"ReSource will be a cornerstone of the circular economy," said Lars Hedegaard Kristensen, Plant Director and CEO of ReSource Denmark Aps, summarising the significance of the plant. "Our facility will have the capacity to handle all the plastic waste in Denmark, contributing to Denmark's ambitious plastic recycling goals."
ReSource Denmark Aps is a 50/50 joint venture between the Norwegian waste disposal service provider Quantafuel and the financial investor Eurazeo.