Norway has opened a new national facility, Områ, aimed at improving the country’s ability to recycle plastic packaging waste, including types previously destined for incineration. 

Located at Holtskogen near Oslo, the facility is a joint venture between TOMRA Systems, which holds a 65% stake, and Plastretur, which owns the remaining 35%.  

Områ is capable of processing up to 90,000t of plastic packaging each year.  

It employs TOMRA’s sensor-based sorting systems to separate mixed plastic waste into as many as ten different polymer types, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate and polystyrene. 

The plant is designed to work alongside municipalities and waste management firms adopting automated mixed waste sorting technologies, helping to raise national recycling rates by reducing dependence on household-level sorting. 

At present, around one-third of Norway’s plastic packaging waste is recycled, with most of the rest still going to incineration.  

TOMRA president and CEO Tove Andersen stated: “Områ is more than a facility — it’s a missing link in Europe’s circular economy. 

“This facility has the capacity to receive and transform all of Norway’s household plastic packaging 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.” 

Under the European Union’s (EU) Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), countries are expected to recycle at least 55% of plastic packaging waste by 2030. 

More than 300 participants, including representatives from municipalities, recycling companies, brand owners, non-governmental organisations and policy specialists, attended the opening ceremony. 

Plastretur CEO Karl Johan Ingvaldsen added: “Områ gives municipalities and the entire value chain a clear signal: there is now a scalable, high-quality route for plastic packaging.  

“It provides the infrastructure needed to meet EU recycling targets and supports our shared ambition to build a truly circular plastics economy.” 

The name Områ, drawn from Norwegian words meaning “to think about” and “to take care of,” signifies the venture’s focus on resource conservation and responsible waste handling.