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Description
Ekombud deals with waste management - we collect municipal, industrial, construction, packaging and other waste in two voivodeships, and so far we have not handled waste sorting. Under the project Ekombud is implementing the separation and treatment process of municipal waste from selective collection, by which it responds to market needs in the line of selective waste management, to social expectations as to environment protection (recycling), and to the legislative requirements of achieving the 55% recycling level in 2020-2025. This technology will also bring an 80% increase of our revenues, as it supports the market tendency of increasing the recycling of PET type plastic waste.
It is estimated that 12.700 tons of waste will be recovered from municipal waste annually as a result of theproject implementation. The process will be deployed thanks to a specific configuration of machines combined into one unique technological line. The line will be developed in cooperation with the Norwegian partner, TOMRA Sorting, whose contribution will cover two tasks. The first one will involve the transfer of know-how at the following project stages: review of project assumptions, selection of optimal technological processes and coordination between designers and suppliers of complementary technological equipment. Next, the partner will provide sorting systems, i.e. sensor-assisted separators for automatic sorting, which will make possible the separation of PET packaging types and other kinds of plastics.
In addition to the partnership, the project costs will include development works intended to devise the morphology (composition) structure of waste collected selectively by Ekombud, and the purchase of a photovoltaic installation to feed the new line. The installation will produce 0.05 GWh of renewable energy per year, and the annual reduction of CO2 emissions, estimated on the basis of the assumed machine performance, will be 5.680 tons. 20 new jobs will be created.
Summary of project results
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, as a result of recovery of 35% of plastics, is 5 680 tons. 20 new jobs have been created. They key result of the projects is 12 700.80 tons of waste processed per year, of which 7 056 tons of plastics, paper and metal are recycled, and 5 645 tons are recovered as RDF – refuse derived fuel.
Film on the project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KS4xAoQa7UE
Summary of bilateral results
The partner very actively and efficiently contributed to the project, providing know-how and technology that were crucial for, and actually conditioned, the project implementation. The partner’s expertise increased the safety and efficiency of the investment, and were used to: review project assumptions, select optimal technological processes, and coordinate between designers and suppliers of complementary technological equipment. The partner also provided its state-of-the-art sorting systems, i.e. sensor-assisted separators for automatic sorting, which will make possible the separation of PET packaging types and other kinds of plastics.The creative use of technical and technological knowledge thanks to the transfer of know-how between our two companies has been particularly important for us as a medium-sized company which is not always able to invest enough in R&D. The role our partner cannot be overestimated here. The partner also actively supported the implementation and use of new processes.Both parties are planning to continue cooperation in other projects.