Construction work for the highly innovative Sort4cycle recycling plant at the Ennshafen port is now underway, marking the beginning of a new era in plastics recycling. The facility will namely use the UPCYCLE process patented by ARA, enabling the further processing of sorting residues that previously had to be thermally recovered. These residues were considered non‑recyclable due to contamination, structure, or particle size. Starting in 2027, Sort4cycle will give these materials new life in the circular economy including thanks to chemical recycling, making a key contribution to achieving EU recycling targets and reducing the use of fossil primary raw materials. With an investment of more than €40 mill, the owners are strengthening raw material sovereignty, innovation capacity, and supply security in Austria and Europe. Commissioning is planned for mid‑2027, creating up to 30 qualified green jobs.
“ARA has been working for over 30 years to continuously advance the circular economy in Austria. With Sort4cycle, we are setting a true milestone – not only nationally, but with a signal effect far beyond Austria. The plant is a decisive step toward closing plastics loops and preparing the use of recyclates in sensitive areas such as food packaging. This is essential for climate protection, resource conservation, European raw material independence, and the resilience of our economy,” says ARA CEO Thomas Eck.
Sort4cycle Enables Innovative Recycling at the TriPlast Sorting Facility
With the opening of TriPlast in 2024, ARA, Bernegger and Der Grüne Punkt set a new benchmark for plastics sorting in Europe. The high‑tech facility processes up to 20 tonnes of material per hour from the Yellow Bag/Yellow Bin – around 100,000 tonnes annually. Sort4cycle will build on this success story and elevate it to the next level of innovation. In addition to material from the TriPlast output, the new plant will also process additional volumes from other sorting facilities, up to a total of 41,000 tonnes per year.
“Sort4cycle once again makes Upper Austria an innovation hotspot for the circular economy. Building the plant directly at the TriPlast site ensures short transport routes and maximum efficiency. With additional fine sorting and cleaning, we create the basis for even more precise material separation and maximum value creation from waste. We are proud to contribute significantly to a functioning plastics circular economy,” says Kurt Bernegger, Managing Director of Bernegger GmbH.
