Tomra - har løsningene på klodens aller største problemer
Jeg bruker store ord i overskriften, men mener jeg kun presenterer fakta. Tomra er nemlig soleklar global markedsleder som teknologileverandør innen alle feltene hvor selskapets CEO Stefan Ranstrand, med rette, hevder det må skje dramatiske omveltninger hvis jordkloden skal kunne være beboelig også i fremtiden. Les hva Stefan skriver her, med en fersk, alarmerende rapport fra FN som bakteppe, og døm selv. Jeg har mange ganger kalt Tomra Norges superselskap her på forumet og nøler ikke med å gjøre det igjen!
09Jul2019
Paradise lost: we must be bold to save the planet
Summary
Human activity has put the world “on notice” according to a ground-breaking UN report. TOMRA CEO Stefan Ranstrand explores the factors threatening one million species with extinction and argues that bold, widespread action is the only solution.
UNESCO’s director general Audrey Azoulay put it bluntly when she said that the world is “on notice” and the findings of the global assessment report she launched show she wasn’t exaggerating.
One in four species – a total of nearly one million – are at risk of extinction within decades. Marine pollution has increased tenfold since 1980. And crop security and long-term food production are at risk from a biosphere “declining faster than at any time in human history.”
This is a truly ground-breaking report compiled over three years to bring together findings from 15,000 reference materials and 400 experts across 50 countries.
We now know the main causes of this unprecedented biodiversity change over the past 50 years, but the question is: what will we do about it?
On land and at sea
Surprisingly the largest factor behind this environmental collapse isn’t climate change or pollution, but changes in land and sea use.
To feed our rapidly growing planet we are replacing grassland and forests with intensive crops, especially in the tropics. According to the report, at least 50 percent of the increase in agriculture since 1980 has been to the detriment of forests.
What makes this harder to accept is that we already know that a third of food produced globally is wasted every year. What we are facing is huge inefficiencies in the way we grow and use food.
With global populations set to increase to 9.7 billion by 2050, we will need 70 percent more food. So, we must adopt new agricultural techniques and change attitudes to food production to reverse this biodiversity crisis.
While animals and plants are being squeezed on land, marine life suffers a worse fate. Pollution in the seas has increased tenfold since 1980 and by 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean.
The root causes of ocean plastic pollution aren’t in the seas but on land, where we have poor waste management processes, limited and inefficient recycling infrastructures and bad consumer behaviour. Countries such as Germany have already implemented state-of-the-art recycling systems, where the recycling rate of plastic bottles is 98 percent, and in other markets container deposit schemes have increased recycling rates by more than 50-60 percent within one to two years.
It is easy to ignore the issues and pretend everything can continue as it has for the past 50 years, but the window of time to reverse the damage done is getting shorter every day and every minute that passes. So, what are we going to do? We need a resource revolution.
Brave new world
Everything we do must change to become more sustainable – what the UN report calls “transformative change”. Some more successful areas like recycling of paper and metal need evolution. But when it comes to woefully mismanaged resources like plastic and food, we need revolution.
In agriculture, highly sophisticated technology can meet both the needs of nature and demands of consumers. Farming is now a science, not an art. Big data and predictive analysis are driving the agritech revolution, meaning that crops can be grown and harvested more efficiently.
The biggest transformation comes further up the supply chain. Sensor-based sorting technology is giving food producers access to more data than ever, allowing the supply chain to eliminate vast amounts of food waste. This reduces pressure on land use, ensuring we always use what we grow and we only grow what we need.
Combined, these technologies can unlock huge potential in every local farm and have a global impact.
In the seas, we can reverse the trend of millions of tonnes of plastic entering the ocean every year. Again, the solution here comes further up the waste supply chain – and already the sector is transforming towards a circular economy.
We have shown that there is value in waste. Reverse vending technology drives remarkable recycling rates of up to 98 percent, helping consumers reimagine waste and collecting 40 billion used beverage containers a year which may otherwise end up in the ocean. Sensor-based sorting technology is optimising waste streams and maximising yields. We are also helping global brands rethink their products, making new products out of 100 percent recycled materials.
Paradise regained
We can be positive about the future. But we must be bolder, braver on how we manage our waste and cultivate our land. It will take a seismic shift in attitudes and serious innovation.
None of us has all the answers, but each and every company, country and consumer must make their own contribution, however large or small, and I hope you will join me in doing the right thing for our future.
https://newsroom.tomra.com/paradise-lost-we-must-be-bold-to-save-the-planet/
PS) Åpner dere linken til artikkelen, vil dere se at Stefan gir masse referanser som dokumenterer det han skriver, i form av understrekninger som er klikkbare linker (til bl.a. FN rapporten jeg viser til innledningsvis).
09Jul2019
Paradise lost: we must be bold to save the planet
Summary
Human activity has put the world “on notice” according to a ground-breaking UN report. TOMRA CEO Stefan Ranstrand explores the factors threatening one million species with extinction and argues that bold, widespread action is the only solution.
UNESCO’s director general Audrey Azoulay put it bluntly when she said that the world is “on notice” and the findings of the global assessment report she launched show she wasn’t exaggerating.
One in four species – a total of nearly one million – are at risk of extinction within decades. Marine pollution has increased tenfold since 1980. And crop security and long-term food production are at risk from a biosphere “declining faster than at any time in human history.”
This is a truly ground-breaking report compiled over three years to bring together findings from 15,000 reference materials and 400 experts across 50 countries.
We now know the main causes of this unprecedented biodiversity change over the past 50 years, but the question is: what will we do about it?
On land and at sea
Surprisingly the largest factor behind this environmental collapse isn’t climate change or pollution, but changes in land and sea use.
To feed our rapidly growing planet we are replacing grassland and forests with intensive crops, especially in the tropics. According to the report, at least 50 percent of the increase in agriculture since 1980 has been to the detriment of forests.
What makes this harder to accept is that we already know that a third of food produced globally is wasted every year. What we are facing is huge inefficiencies in the way we grow and use food.
With global populations set to increase to 9.7 billion by 2050, we will need 70 percent more food. So, we must adopt new agricultural techniques and change attitudes to food production to reverse this biodiversity crisis.
While animals and plants are being squeezed on land, marine life suffers a worse fate. Pollution in the seas has increased tenfold since 1980 and by 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean.
The root causes of ocean plastic pollution aren’t in the seas but on land, where we have poor waste management processes, limited and inefficient recycling infrastructures and bad consumer behaviour. Countries such as Germany have already implemented state-of-the-art recycling systems, where the recycling rate of plastic bottles is 98 percent, and in other markets container deposit schemes have increased recycling rates by more than 50-60 percent within one to two years.
It is easy to ignore the issues and pretend everything can continue as it has for the past 50 years, but the window of time to reverse the damage done is getting shorter every day and every minute that passes. So, what are we going to do? We need a resource revolution.
Brave new world
Everything we do must change to become more sustainable – what the UN report calls “transformative change”. Some more successful areas like recycling of paper and metal need evolution. But when it comes to woefully mismanaged resources like plastic and food, we need revolution.
In agriculture, highly sophisticated technology can meet both the needs of nature and demands of consumers. Farming is now a science, not an art. Big data and predictive analysis are driving the agritech revolution, meaning that crops can be grown and harvested more efficiently.
The biggest transformation comes further up the supply chain. Sensor-based sorting technology is giving food producers access to more data than ever, allowing the supply chain to eliminate vast amounts of food waste. This reduces pressure on land use, ensuring we always use what we grow and we only grow what we need.
Combined, these technologies can unlock huge potential in every local farm and have a global impact.
In the seas, we can reverse the trend of millions of tonnes of plastic entering the ocean every year. Again, the solution here comes further up the waste supply chain – and already the sector is transforming towards a circular economy.
We have shown that there is value in waste. Reverse vending technology drives remarkable recycling rates of up to 98 percent, helping consumers reimagine waste and collecting 40 billion used beverage containers a year which may otherwise end up in the ocean. Sensor-based sorting technology is optimising waste streams and maximising yields. We are also helping global brands rethink their products, making new products out of 100 percent recycled materials.
Paradise regained
We can be positive about the future. But we must be bolder, braver on how we manage our waste and cultivate our land. It will take a seismic shift in attitudes and serious innovation.
None of us has all the answers, but each and every company, country and consumer must make their own contribution, however large or small, and I hope you will join me in doing the right thing for our future.
https://newsroom.tomra.com/paradise-lost-we-must-be-bold-to-save-the-planet/
PS) Åpner dere linken til artikkelen, vil dere se at Stefan gir masse referanser som dokumenterer det han skriver, i form av understrekninger som er klikkbare linker (til bl.a. FN rapporten jeg viser til innledningsvis).
Redigert 19.01.2021 kl 14:44
Du må logge inn for å svare
KanonBra5
09.07.2019 kl 19:45
2422
Et fantastisk firma, med en fantastisk leder!!!
Fremtiden er STOR!!!
Investor
Fremtiden er STOR!!!
Investor
Kommentatoren
10.07.2019 kl 22:16
2274
NEW EBOOK FROM TOMRA SORTING RECYCLING IDENTIFIES HOW THE PLASTICS VALUE CHAIN CAN REDUCE PLASTIC WASTE
The existential threat to oceans and marine life is a good enough reason to cut plastics waste, profitable new business opportunities are another
July 10, 2019
TOMRA Sorting Recycling has published a new eBook, which shares transformational ideas for reducing plastic waste throughout the plastics value chain. The free-to-download publication spotlights how wider adoption of a circular economy is not only vital for our environment but can also bring new business opportunities.
TOMRA’s latest digital book takes the realistic view that plastic has become irreplaceable in our everyday lives because of its many advantages, but action is needed urgently to prevent an exacerbation of the threat plastic waste is already posing to our oceans and marine life. The crux of the matter, the eBook says, is what we do with the plastic after use, and how plastics re-enter the circular economy. By implementing effective measures in the plastics value chain, we can ensure the long-term health of our economies, communities and environment.
TOMRA’s eBook identifies many of the actions that need to be taken to prevent environmental catastrophe. Moreover, it flags-up the necessary actions by all key industry stakeholders in the plastics value chain: chemical and plastics manufacturers, consumer goods companies, retailers, consumers, waste management companies, recycling facilities, and legislators.
Beyond the environmental benefits of recycling waste, the eBook observes how positive economic shifts can also be expected. Economies which use once-and-discard models are embracing new business opportunities through the advanced sorting technologies that purify and deliver high-quality recyclates.
To download your copy of the eBook, please visit https://www.tomra.com/en/pvc-ebook
https://recycling.tomra.com/blog/tomra-sorting-recycling-identifies-how-the-plastics-value-chain
The existential threat to oceans and marine life is a good enough reason to cut plastics waste, profitable new business opportunities are another
July 10, 2019
TOMRA Sorting Recycling has published a new eBook, which shares transformational ideas for reducing plastic waste throughout the plastics value chain. The free-to-download publication spotlights how wider adoption of a circular economy is not only vital for our environment but can also bring new business opportunities.
TOMRA’s latest digital book takes the realistic view that plastic has become irreplaceable in our everyday lives because of its many advantages, but action is needed urgently to prevent an exacerbation of the threat plastic waste is already posing to our oceans and marine life. The crux of the matter, the eBook says, is what we do with the plastic after use, and how plastics re-enter the circular economy. By implementing effective measures in the plastics value chain, we can ensure the long-term health of our economies, communities and environment.
TOMRA’s eBook identifies many of the actions that need to be taken to prevent environmental catastrophe. Moreover, it flags-up the necessary actions by all key industry stakeholders in the plastics value chain: chemical and plastics manufacturers, consumer goods companies, retailers, consumers, waste management companies, recycling facilities, and legislators.
Beyond the environmental benefits of recycling waste, the eBook observes how positive economic shifts can also be expected. Economies which use once-and-discard models are embracing new business opportunities through the advanced sorting technologies that purify and deliver high-quality recyclates.
To download your copy of the eBook, please visit https://www.tomra.com/en/pvc-ebook
https://recycling.tomra.com/blog/tomra-sorting-recycling-identifies-how-the-plastics-value-chain
KanonBra5
11.07.2019 kl 08:05
2193
Q2 fredag (19/07) neste uke blir en merke dag!! Gleder meg :-) Ser ikke bort ifra at man kan få seg en “liten” overraskelse da ;-)
Investor
Investor
@KanonBra5
Overraskelse som hva?
Du avslutter setningen med et blinkefjes som antyder at det er noe positivt som du ikke sier i ord, men ved blinkefjes.
Jeg bare lurer på hva du mener med overraskelse?
Overraskelse som hva?
Du avslutter setningen med et blinkefjes som antyder at det er noe positivt som du ikke sier i ord, men ved blinkefjes.
Jeg bare lurer på hva du mener med overraskelse?
KanonBra5
11.07.2019 kl 17:17
2046
Tenker da hovedsakelig på bra resultater og en meget god ordrereserve. Men synest også det er spennende at Tomra hadde sitt styremøte i New York i dag!! Gjerne dette kan bety at noe STORT er på gang!!! ;-)
Investor
Investor
Kommentatoren
11.07.2019 kl 20:41
1974
New York ja. Det er vel business og ikke veldedighet det dreier seg om når man ringer med klokka. Iallefall for Tomra sin del er det jo helt opplagt at rollen i denne alliansen treffer midt i kjernen at selskapets forretningsvirksomhet...
July 11, 2019 12:01 PM 2 HOURS AGO
Ringing up higher profile for Alliance to End Plastic Waste
JIM JOHNSON
David Taylor, chairman, president and CEO of Procter & Gamble Co. and chairman of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste rings the closing bell of the New York Stock Exchange along with other members of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste.
A dozen additional companies are joining a high-profile consortium trying to find ways to combat environmental problems caused by plastics.
The Alliance to End Plastic Waste, launched with fanfare earlier this year with its $1.5 billion goal to help the cause, began with 27 founding members.
New members of the alliance include Novolex Holdings Inc., Sealed Air Corp., Tomra Sorting GmbH, Storopack and PepsiCo. Others are Westlake Chemical Corp., Equate Petrochemical Co., Gemini Corp., Grupo Phoenix, Mondi, and SKC Co. Ltd.
Sinopac, the state-controlled Chinese oil and gas company, also is a new member.
"Plastic waste does not belong in the environment but into orderly recycling circuits. This is why we are joining the Alliance with the greatest conviction and in order to make a contribution," said Hermann Reichenecker, chairman of Storopack, a protective packaging maker.
Members of the alliance already have pledged more than $1 billion over five years to help end plastic waste in the environment. The group's goal is to raise $1.5 billion for that effort.
Member companies as well as plastic industry trade groups call the alliance a substantial response to the growing environmental scrutiny plastics finds itself under.
The alliance is focusing on four areas: infrastructure development; innovation; education and engagement; and removing plastic already in the environment.
That clean-up effort has a focus on "major rivers that carry vast amounts of land-based plastic waste to the ocean," the group said.
Global consumer products company Procter & Gamble Co. was a founding member and its CEO serves as chairman of the alliance.
"As leaders of companies that represent the full-spectrum of the plastics value chain, we are acutely aware that plastic waste in our environment is a serious and growing problem, especially in our oceans," P&G CEO David Taylor said.
"This complex, global challenge requires a comprehensive approach across the plastics life-cycle, and we are committed to bringing forth sustainable solutions," he said when alliance members were at the New York Stock Exchange July 8 to ring the closing bell.
https://www.plasticsnews.com/news/ringing-higher-profile-alliance-end-plastic-waste
July 11, 2019 12:01 PM 2 HOURS AGO
Ringing up higher profile for Alliance to End Plastic Waste
JIM JOHNSON
David Taylor, chairman, president and CEO of Procter & Gamble Co. and chairman of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste rings the closing bell of the New York Stock Exchange along with other members of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste.
A dozen additional companies are joining a high-profile consortium trying to find ways to combat environmental problems caused by plastics.
The Alliance to End Plastic Waste, launched with fanfare earlier this year with its $1.5 billion goal to help the cause, began with 27 founding members.
New members of the alliance include Novolex Holdings Inc., Sealed Air Corp., Tomra Sorting GmbH, Storopack and PepsiCo. Others are Westlake Chemical Corp., Equate Petrochemical Co., Gemini Corp., Grupo Phoenix, Mondi, and SKC Co. Ltd.
Sinopac, the state-controlled Chinese oil and gas company, also is a new member.
"Plastic waste does not belong in the environment but into orderly recycling circuits. This is why we are joining the Alliance with the greatest conviction and in order to make a contribution," said Hermann Reichenecker, chairman of Storopack, a protective packaging maker.
Members of the alliance already have pledged more than $1 billion over five years to help end plastic waste in the environment. The group's goal is to raise $1.5 billion for that effort.
Member companies as well as plastic industry trade groups call the alliance a substantial response to the growing environmental scrutiny plastics finds itself under.
The alliance is focusing on four areas: infrastructure development; innovation; education and engagement; and removing plastic already in the environment.
That clean-up effort has a focus on "major rivers that carry vast amounts of land-based plastic waste to the ocean," the group said.
Global consumer products company Procter & Gamble Co. was a founding member and its CEO serves as chairman of the alliance.
"As leaders of companies that represent the full-spectrum of the plastics value chain, we are acutely aware that plastic waste in our environment is a serious and growing problem, especially in our oceans," P&G CEO David Taylor said.
"This complex, global challenge requires a comprehensive approach across the plastics life-cycle, and we are committed to bringing forth sustainable solutions," he said when alliance members were at the New York Stock Exchange July 8 to ring the closing bell.
https://www.plasticsnews.com/news/ringing-higher-profile-alliance-end-plastic-waste
Kommentatoren
11.07.2019 kl 20:44
1974
New York ja. Det er vel business og ikke veldedighet det dreier seg om når man ringer med klokka på New York Stock Exchange. Iallefall for Tomra sin del er det jo helt opplagt at rollen i denne alliansen treffer midt i blinken, altså i kjernen av selskapets forretningsvirksomhet...
July 11, 2019 12:01 PM 2 HOURS AGO
Ringing up higher profile for Alliance to End Plastic Waste
JIM JOHNSON
David Taylor, chairman, president and CEO of Procter & Gamble Co. and chairman of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste rings the closing bell of the New York Stock Exchange along with other members of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste.
(følg linken under for å se bildet)
A dozen additional companies are joining a high-profile consortium trying to find ways to combat environmental problems caused by plastics.
The Alliance to End Plastic Waste, launched with fanfare earlier this year with its $1.5 billion goal to help the cause, began with 27 founding members.
New members of the alliance include Novolex Holdings Inc., Sealed Air Corp., Tomra Sorting GmbH, Storopack and PepsiCo. Others are Westlake Chemical Corp., Equate Petrochemical Co., Gemini Corp., Grupo Phoenix, Mondi, and SKC Co. Ltd.
Sinopac, the state-controlled Chinese oil and gas company, also is a new member.
"Plastic waste does not belong in the environment but into orderly recycling circuits. This is why we are joining the Alliance with the greatest conviction and in order to make a contribution," said Hermann Reichenecker, chairman of Storopack, a protective packaging maker.
Members of the alliance already have pledged more than $1 billion over five years to help end plastic waste in the environment. The group's goal is to raise $1.5 billion for that effort.
Member companies as well as plastic industry trade groups call the alliance a substantial response to the growing environmental scrutiny plastics finds itself under.
The alliance is focusing on four areas: infrastructure development; innovation; education and engagement; and removing plastic already in the environment.
That clean-up effort has a focus on "major rivers that carry vast amounts of land-based plastic waste to the ocean," the group said.
Global consumer products company Procter & Gamble Co. was a founding member and its CEO serves as chairman of the alliance.
"As leaders of companies that represent the full-spectrum of the plastics value chain, we are acutely aware that plastic waste in our environment is a serious and growing problem, especially in our oceans," P&G CEO David Taylor said.
"This complex, global challenge requires a comprehensive approach across the plastics life-cycle, and we are committed to bringing forth sustainable solutions," he said when alliance members were at the New York Stock Exchange July 8 to ring the closing bell.
https://www.plasticsnews.com/news/ringing-higher-profile-alliance-end-plastic-waste
July 11, 2019 12:01 PM 2 HOURS AGO
Ringing up higher profile for Alliance to End Plastic Waste
JIM JOHNSON
David Taylor, chairman, president and CEO of Procter & Gamble Co. and chairman of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste rings the closing bell of the New York Stock Exchange along with other members of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste.
(følg linken under for å se bildet)
A dozen additional companies are joining a high-profile consortium trying to find ways to combat environmental problems caused by plastics.
The Alliance to End Plastic Waste, launched with fanfare earlier this year with its $1.5 billion goal to help the cause, began with 27 founding members.
New members of the alliance include Novolex Holdings Inc., Sealed Air Corp., Tomra Sorting GmbH, Storopack and PepsiCo. Others are Westlake Chemical Corp., Equate Petrochemical Co., Gemini Corp., Grupo Phoenix, Mondi, and SKC Co. Ltd.
Sinopac, the state-controlled Chinese oil and gas company, also is a new member.
"Plastic waste does not belong in the environment but into orderly recycling circuits. This is why we are joining the Alliance with the greatest conviction and in order to make a contribution," said Hermann Reichenecker, chairman of Storopack, a protective packaging maker.
Members of the alliance already have pledged more than $1 billion over five years to help end plastic waste in the environment. The group's goal is to raise $1.5 billion for that effort.
Member companies as well as plastic industry trade groups call the alliance a substantial response to the growing environmental scrutiny plastics finds itself under.
The alliance is focusing on four areas: infrastructure development; innovation; education and engagement; and removing plastic already in the environment.
That clean-up effort has a focus on "major rivers that carry vast amounts of land-based plastic waste to the ocean," the group said.
Global consumer products company Procter & Gamble Co. was a founding member and its CEO serves as chairman of the alliance.
"As leaders of companies that represent the full-spectrum of the plastics value chain, we are acutely aware that plastic waste in our environment is a serious and growing problem, especially in our oceans," P&G CEO David Taylor said.
"This complex, global challenge requires a comprehensive approach across the plastics life-cycle, and we are committed to bringing forth sustainable solutions," he said when alliance members were at the New York Stock Exchange July 8 to ring the closing bell.
https://www.plasticsnews.com/news/ringing-higher-profile-alliance-end-plastic-waste
Redigert 11.07.2019 kl 20:58
Du må logge inn for å svare
Kommentatoren
16.07.2019 kl 20:12
1842
Commentary: The vital role of deposit return schemes
Truls Haug, managing director of Tomra collection solutions UK and Ireland, says DRS transitions countries to circular economy.
July 12, 2019
Truls Haug
Every minute, 1 million plastic bottles are bought around the world. In the United Kingdom, consumers go through an estimated 13 billion plastic drinks bottles per year, with more than 3 billion incinerated, sent to landfill of left to pollute the environment.
Deposit return schemes (DRS) have been identified around the world as part of the solution to this problem, as a way both of tackling pollution and increasing recycling rates.
With both production and consumption growing, it is positive that the U.K. is beginning to transition into a more circular economy with legislation that follows the example of other countries.
In the U.K., Scotland has been the first to commit to a deposit return scheme as part of wider efforts to prevent discarded drinks containers from ending up in streets and oceans. The country stands on the cusp of a seismic shift. Its government has in the last few weeks announced an “all in” scheme to be up and running by 2021, covering drinks containers of all sizes and a wide range of materials, including glass.
The U.K. government is currently consulting on proposals to introduce a DRS for drink containers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, watching closely as feedback on the Scottish model rolls in.
Benefits of DRS
Deposit return schemes have experienced great success in Scandinavia, where recycling rates are about double of those in the U.K.
Globally, DRS are achieving up to 40 per cent higher collection rates for plastic, aluminum and glass beverage containers than other collection methods. Tomra’s reverse vending machines (RVMs) for container collection capture 40 billion used beverage containers across 82,000 installations worldwide every year.
In order to make the return of bottles and cans more efficient and convenient, many container deposit schemes use automated RVMs to analyse and sort containers when they are collected for recycling and reuse. RVMs instantly count the number of containers returned, sort away ineligible containers and pay out the correct deposit refund to recyclers. It is considerably more efficient and cleaner than taking containers back manually, as well as being better equipped at dealing with high volumes.
RVMs can be found at supermarkets, allowing users to receive their refund in cash or as vouchers or points they can use in store. In some countries, it’s possible to donate the deposit money to charity, direct from the reverse vending machine.
Tomra believes there are two main reasons behind container deposit schemes’ success in tackling pollution and increasing recycling rates.
Deposit return systems provide a financial incentive for consumers to return drink containers, which might otherwise become litter or thrown into landfill. Giving a financial value to these empties--.25 euros per bottle in some countries and 20 pence in Scotland--communicates that they have a value for society and helps to shift perceptions. Containers are viewed and treated as a resource, rather than simply as waste.
Also, by separating bottles and cans for recycling through RVMs, drink containers are collected without contamination from other types of household waste. This ensures containers can be recycled into new bottles and cans, rather than used for lower quality applications. This is a process known as closed loop recycling, which Tomra calls the “clean loop.”
This reduces both reliance on the raw materials needed to produce new beverage containers and waste ending up in landfills or in the environment.
Success around the world
Countries around the world successfully operate these schemes, which result in 70 to 100 percent of all drink containers being recycled.
Scandinavia and Norway are recognized as trailblazers in DRS. Starting with Tomra’s first RVM in 1972, today return rates in Norway are 97 percent for cans and 95 percent for PET plastic, with collections managed by scheme coordinator Infinitum.
Following the introduction of its DRS in 2003, Germany’s recycling return rates are approximately 97 percent of all plastic bottles and 99 percent for cans.
With the aim of reducing litter, cutting local government costs and boosting recycling rates, Lithuania introduced its scheme in 2016 with Tomra RVMs, increasing the country’s return rates from 34 percent to 92 percent in two years.
In Canada, the first DRS was rolled out in 1970, with nearly all provinces and territories now embracing it. The return schemes recover 80 percent of nonrefillable beverage containers sold compared with 50 percent from municipal curbside recycling programs.
Tomra sees these countries as examples of the positive impact that it anticipates DRS will have on returns in the U.K.
Moving to a circular economy
Tomra believes container deposit schemes are one part of the solution to changing attitudes around empty drink containers and improving recycling rates and are a vital part of moving to a circular economy.
European Union member states have legislative proposals on waste, including a 75 percent target recycling rate on plastic packaging by 2030 and a 90 percent collection rate by 2025. DRS not only drive recycling targets but ensure materials can be recycled in the most effective way possible.
Tomra believes the more materials included in DRS and the fewer restrictions, the better. A simple, straightforward and all-encompassing scheme has the potential to achieve the best return rates. However, the best result is a strong circular economy that keeps litter out of oceans, streets and landfill and changes habits for good.
https://www.recyclingtodayglobal.com/article/tomra-deposit-return-schemes-vital-role/
Truls Haug, managing director of Tomra collection solutions UK and Ireland, says DRS transitions countries to circular economy.
July 12, 2019
Truls Haug
Every minute, 1 million plastic bottles are bought around the world. In the United Kingdom, consumers go through an estimated 13 billion plastic drinks bottles per year, with more than 3 billion incinerated, sent to landfill of left to pollute the environment.
Deposit return schemes (DRS) have been identified around the world as part of the solution to this problem, as a way both of tackling pollution and increasing recycling rates.
With both production and consumption growing, it is positive that the U.K. is beginning to transition into a more circular economy with legislation that follows the example of other countries.
In the U.K., Scotland has been the first to commit to a deposit return scheme as part of wider efforts to prevent discarded drinks containers from ending up in streets and oceans. The country stands on the cusp of a seismic shift. Its government has in the last few weeks announced an “all in” scheme to be up and running by 2021, covering drinks containers of all sizes and a wide range of materials, including glass.
The U.K. government is currently consulting on proposals to introduce a DRS for drink containers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, watching closely as feedback on the Scottish model rolls in.
Benefits of DRS
Deposit return schemes have experienced great success in Scandinavia, where recycling rates are about double of those in the U.K.
Globally, DRS are achieving up to 40 per cent higher collection rates for plastic, aluminum and glass beverage containers than other collection methods. Tomra’s reverse vending machines (RVMs) for container collection capture 40 billion used beverage containers across 82,000 installations worldwide every year.
In order to make the return of bottles and cans more efficient and convenient, many container deposit schemes use automated RVMs to analyse and sort containers when they are collected for recycling and reuse. RVMs instantly count the number of containers returned, sort away ineligible containers and pay out the correct deposit refund to recyclers. It is considerably more efficient and cleaner than taking containers back manually, as well as being better equipped at dealing with high volumes.
RVMs can be found at supermarkets, allowing users to receive their refund in cash or as vouchers or points they can use in store. In some countries, it’s possible to donate the deposit money to charity, direct from the reverse vending machine.
Tomra believes there are two main reasons behind container deposit schemes’ success in tackling pollution and increasing recycling rates.
Deposit return systems provide a financial incentive for consumers to return drink containers, which might otherwise become litter or thrown into landfill. Giving a financial value to these empties--.25 euros per bottle in some countries and 20 pence in Scotland--communicates that they have a value for society and helps to shift perceptions. Containers are viewed and treated as a resource, rather than simply as waste.
Also, by separating bottles and cans for recycling through RVMs, drink containers are collected without contamination from other types of household waste. This ensures containers can be recycled into new bottles and cans, rather than used for lower quality applications. This is a process known as closed loop recycling, which Tomra calls the “clean loop.”
This reduces both reliance on the raw materials needed to produce new beverage containers and waste ending up in landfills or in the environment.
Success around the world
Countries around the world successfully operate these schemes, which result in 70 to 100 percent of all drink containers being recycled.
Scandinavia and Norway are recognized as trailblazers in DRS. Starting with Tomra’s first RVM in 1972, today return rates in Norway are 97 percent for cans and 95 percent for PET plastic, with collections managed by scheme coordinator Infinitum.
Following the introduction of its DRS in 2003, Germany’s recycling return rates are approximately 97 percent of all plastic bottles and 99 percent for cans.
With the aim of reducing litter, cutting local government costs and boosting recycling rates, Lithuania introduced its scheme in 2016 with Tomra RVMs, increasing the country’s return rates from 34 percent to 92 percent in two years.
In Canada, the first DRS was rolled out in 1970, with nearly all provinces and territories now embracing it. The return schemes recover 80 percent of nonrefillable beverage containers sold compared with 50 percent from municipal curbside recycling programs.
Tomra sees these countries as examples of the positive impact that it anticipates DRS will have on returns in the U.K.
Moving to a circular economy
Tomra believes container deposit schemes are one part of the solution to changing attitudes around empty drink containers and improving recycling rates and are a vital part of moving to a circular economy.
European Union member states have legislative proposals on waste, including a 75 percent target recycling rate on plastic packaging by 2030 and a 90 percent collection rate by 2025. DRS not only drive recycling targets but ensure materials can be recycled in the most effective way possible.
Tomra believes the more materials included in DRS and the fewer restrictions, the better. A simple, straightforward and all-encompassing scheme has the potential to achieve the best return rates. However, the best result is a strong circular economy that keeps litter out of oceans, streets and landfill and changes habits for good.
https://www.recyclingtodayglobal.com/article/tomra-deposit-return-schemes-vital-role/