Trioworld is increasing its in-house recycling capacity for external waste and further integrating it with film production.
NEWS
Trioworld has for many years been an industry leader when it comes to using recycled materials in its products and continues to look for ways to increase circularity.
“When we investigated our Scope 1, 2, and 3 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, we concluded that the main drivers were at each end of the product life cycle: the raw materials and end-of-life,” explains Trioworld’s Sustainability Development Director Eva Hultén. “By using recycled material and supporting recyclability of our products we can make a significant impact on our overall carbon dioxide emissions, and thus lowering our customers’ scope 3 emissions. So, we’re changing from the traditional linear “produce-use-dispose” model to the circular model of “produce-use-recycle.” Trioworld’s 2021 acquisition and integration of Swedish agricultural plastic waste recycling company Reviva Plastics AB was a step forward in the company’s plan in achieving the circular model. In addition to the Reviva site in Korsberga in southern Sweden, Trioworld also operates recycling facilities for external waste in Ombrée d’Anjou in northwest France, and in Nyborg in central Denmark. While the site in Sweden is a stand-alone plastic recycling site, the recycling operations in Denmark and France are integrated in the plastic film production site.
Three new recycling lines are being built at the Reviva site,which will boost capacity from 6,000 to 24,000 tonnesper year. (1) In France, work is underway to add two additional recycling lines and upgrade one of the two existing lines, investments that will double the site’s recycling capacity from 12,000 to roughly 24,000 tonnes annually. Trioworld’s ambition is to increase in-house PCR production even more, potentially in new or at existing sites. “All of these efforts fall under a programme that we call ’Backward Integration’ as they involve moving back up in the value chain to increase our in-house high-quality PCR production,” says Eva Hultén. She points out that Trioworld has been taking steps toward circularity for some time, but that efforts are ramping up both in terms of product development and targeted investments, to meet the anticipated increase in demand. “If you look across Europe, there isn’t enough recycling capacity to meet the increased demand for high-quality PCR that we anticipate. Backward Integration will allow us to add additional capacity of the required quality to the growing plastic recycling industry, while at the same time continuing to work with existing recyclers across the continent,” explains Eva Hultén. “We hope our efforts to integrate recycling and film production will complement what’s already available in the market. We can’t do everything by ourselves - but we believe that combining our competencies in recycling and plastic film production will allow us to achieve the quality and scale we need to better support circularity of our products.”
To ensure the transfer of local learnings and best practices to other parts of the company, Trioworld established an organisation to support its Backward Integration programme. Each investment project is owned and run by the site themselves, but reports to the project steering group, chaired by Eva Hultén. Other sites and divisions also bring knowledge to the programme and learnings are shared across the group as applicable rather than staying “trapped” at a single site. “Even if our divisions are different, PCR plays an important role for all of them,” she says. “Simply bringing people together, using the different experiences and talking from different points of view has already led to quite a bit of knowledge exchange.” As Trioworld is looking forward to increasing its in-house recycling capacity for external waste and further integrating it with film production, Eva Hultén highlights three key elements that have paved the way for success.
“Management support has been critical, for sure. Everyone agrees that this is where the industry is heading, and we want to lead the way,” she says. “Their commitment is the foundation for the teamwork we need across the company, where we all work together to make this a success.” Local responsibility and ownership for each project is another important success factor. “Local project managers know best which contractors to work with, how permits and regulations work, and how the project is perceived by the local community,” she says. Finally, Eva Hultén points to all the partnerships Trioworld has with different suppliers and customers, all of whom are committed to helping move the industry toward a more sustainable, circular model. “We couldn’t do any of this without our customers, the equipment and waste suppliers, and other partners who contribute their products and expertise,” she says. “Having solid partnerships and doing this together with the different stakeholders are certainly a key to success.”
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