News

On 22 May, LIFE Waste to Resources IP Leading Partner, Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development (MEPRD) visited the plastic packaging recycling plant at the LLC (SIA) "Nordic Plast" of the environmental resource management group of companies JSC (AS) "Eco Baltia", which recently joined the LIFE Waste to Resources IP project as one of the partners. The processing plant is located in Olaine and was established in 2001. The LLC (SIA) "Nordic Plast" is one of the leading recycling companies in the Baltic States, recycling used LDPE films (clear and coloured). PP polypropylene bags (Big-Bags), which are mainly used in agriculture, are also used for recycling.

During the visit, Andris Trumars, the company's manager, showed the factory site and its production equipment and process. We learnt how sorted, washed plastic waste is recycled into new end products - LDPE pellets. As the company developed, production of PP pellets also started in 2012. The LLC (SIA) "Nordic Plast" mainly recycles film collected in Latvia, but, for the purposes of ensuring production, around 50 percent of additional material is imported from other EU countries. The main suppliers of raw material are waste management companies, which collect and sort the waste.

So far, manual sorting of packaging was important, but last year the company invested €2.8 million in a new sorting and recycling line to streamline production processes. The new line is automated and provides pre-sorting and purification of materials. With the new sorting line, recycling capacities of the LLC (SIA) "Nordic Plast" increase by up to 30%.

In order to reduce waste generation, ensure more efficient waste management and reduce landfill volumes, the LLC (SIA) "Nordic Plast" has become a LIFE Waste To Resources IP partner from 1 January 2023.

Within the framework of the project, the company is setting up an accredited laboratory to study the composition, recyclability and volume of plastics on the Latvian market. Results of the plastic packaging tests in the laboratory will be available in a new database "Database of plastic packaging and plastic-containing products placed on the Latvian market".  This database will be accessible to traders and other stakeholders and will provide the necessary data on flows, types and recyclability of different types of plastic products. The purpose is to ensure maximum possible reuse of polymer packaging, thus replacing the use of first-time raw materials and eliminating the presence of non-recyclable plastics on the market. This will ensure that resources are recycled, reducing negative impact on the environment.

We would like to thank the LLC (SIA) "Nordic Plast" for the warm welcome to the production premises and for taking the time to show and tell us how the waste recycling processes work!