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Renewi invests in the plastics value chain in the Port of Ghent

15 March 2021

Last year, in addition to a brand new plastics sorting line, a new building was constructed for a state-of-the-art processing line for hard plastics on the Moervaartkaai site in the port of Ghent. This investment increases European recycling rates and accelerates the transition to a circular economy.

Plastic waste is a raw material for circularity

Plastic has changed the world. It is an extremely functional, versatile and aesthetic material that has improved living standards and enhanced hygiene. Ignoring plastic’s impact is impossible. Polymers such as PE, PP and PET are used in many products from every kind of sector. But over half of the plastic or hard plastics produced in Europe is lost, disappearing inside incinerators, strewn about as discarded waste or labelled as non-recyclable.

Plastic is too valuable to wasted. From the design and production, to the collection and sorting, right through to the recycling and end-use, there needs to be accountability and investments to make it more circular..

“Renewi is focusing on advanced operational solutions, resulting in high quality and stable end products. This is why we have invested in a new sorting, grinding and washing line.”

– Philip Heylen, Director Materials Renewi Belgium

Advanced pre-sorting and treatment

Every year, 20,000 tonnes of mixed plastic waste are treated by Renewi in Ghent. The plastic waste is pre-sorted according to various mono-qualities at the new sorting line to ensure the qualitative input for the processing line. Processing takes place in the new building where an advanced grinding and washing line has been installed. This facility produces purely recycled PP/PE regrinds of excellent quality that will be reused in new, recycled plastics applications.

Quality assurance

These high quality regrinds are intended for both local and foreign industries. To ensure the high quality of this secondary raw material for our customers, the end product is tested in our laboratory at different times in the production process. The testing concerns quality and also customer-specific requirements.