Europe's most modern sorting plant for lightweight packaging opened

The owners ARA, Bernegger and GreenDot/Der Grüne Punkt hosted the grand opening of the new sorting plant for lightweight packaging in Ennshafen.

"Austria has set itself the goal of doubling the recycling of plastic packaging by 2025. TriPlast processes valuable materials for subsequent recycling and thus saves raw materials. The new plant is therefore an important building block for the Austrian circular economy and also strengthens climate protection," said Austria’s Climate Protection Minister Leonore Gewessler.

For Upper Austria’s Governor Thomas Stelzer, the project embodies a win-win situation: "TriPlast benefits not only the environment, but also Upper Austria as a place to work and do business. TriPlast opens up great market opportunities for the industrial location of Ennshafen and strengthens our position as a European innovation pioneer in the field of sustainable industry."

Secondary raw materials for Austrian industry

TriPlast has a sorting capacity of 100,000 tons of plastic and metal packaging per year. This means that 50% of all Austrian lightweight packaging can be sorted. Packaging is processed in such a way that it can then be turned into recyclate and used to manufacture new packaging or other products. More than 20 different raw materials can be turned back into products such as shampoo bottles, canisters, films or components for the automotive and electrical industries. "With our strategic partnership and the cross-border joint venture, we are preparing Austria and the EU for the recycling quotas from 2025. TriPlast can process an incredible 20 tons per hour and is three times the size of existing plants in Austria. We want to reduce Austria's dependence on raw materials and provide the industry with high-quality raw materials," emphasized ARA CEO Harald Hauke.

State-of-the-art technology was installed in the plant: 2.5 km of conveyor belt, 160 km of cable, 2,250 tons of reinforcing steel, 38 near-infrared devices and three screening drums. "With a hall height of 25 meters, the new plant will be one of the highest in Europe, ensuring low space consumption and an efficient material flow," emphasize TriPlast Managing Directors Jürgen Secklehner, Kurt Bernegger and Denis Völler.