Veolia invests in PET recycling in Europe
Veolia, an environmental services provider, is expanding its PET recycling capacities across Europe. The company is investing in the modernisation and expansion of its facilities in Frauenfeld, Switzerland, and Norrköping, Sweden. The goal is to increase the output of food-grade rPET (recycled PET) to meet the growing demand in the food industry.
In Frauenfeld, Veolia is leveraging artificial intelligence to improve input quality and adding an extra extruder for the production of food-grade rPET. In Norrköping, a facility expansion and a new extruder will boost the output of high-quality granules. With these investments, Veolia expects to increase its production of food-grade rPET by approximately 30%.
According to Guido Adomßent, CEO of Veolia Umweltservice Group, the collection systems in Scandinavia and Switzerland create essential conditions for a closed-loop PET recycling process. He explains that Sweden, for instance, has mandatory design regulations for PET bottles allowed for sale, which ensures very high recycling quality and, in turn, leads to high-quality recyclates.
With these technical upgrades, Veolia offers both countries’ systems and their members greater flexibility in selecting and utilising recycled materials. It also supports the increasing share of high-quality recyclates used by key bottling companies. At the same time, the company strengthens the circular economy in these regions and makes a significant contribution to reducing the carbon footprint of plastic production.
Veolia is also closely monitoring the German market. Adomßent acknowledges that the current situation presents challenges but believes there is potential for growth. He highlights that developments at the EU level and ongoing discussions on a circular economy strategy in Germany could create new opportunities. The company remains attentive to market trends and is prepared to take action when conditions become favorable.
With these latest investments, the company aims to reinforce its pioneering role and to actively shape the future of PET recycling in Europe.
