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Photo credit: AS Iterum

PET Recycling

One of the largest PET bottle processing plants in Northern Europe has been opened in Latvia

3:21 min Complete PET recycling plants
Olaines Parish, Latvia

On October 23, the new factory of AS “ITERUM” (formerly “PET Baltija”) was opened in Olaine – one of the largest in Northern Europe with a planned processing capacity of 80,000 tons per year, or about 30% more than it was possible to provide at the company’s previous production facility in Jelgava. “ITERUM” has invested more than 10 million euros in the creation of the new factory, while the total investment reaches more than 35 million euros.

Taking into account the goals of climate neutrality and the “Green Deal” set by the European Union (EU), the role of waste recycling will significantly increase in its member states in the coming years. While the leading countries of the EU – Germany, Slovenia, Austria, the Netherlands, etc. – is able to recycle an average of 65% of generated waste, Latvia reaches less than 50%*.

Jānis Irbe, parliamentary secretary of the Ministry of Climate and Energy: “In the implementation of circular economy principles, first of all, we are talking about the production of high-quality and long-lasting goods. Secondly, also about the use of raw materials obtained in the waste recycling process in its production. The circular economy model for the economy comes with challenges, but also opportunities to turn waste into raw materials that are in demand in the market. In the circular economy, the product’s harm to the environment and also to human health is reduced throughout the product’s life cycle – from the extraction of raw materials to production, packaging and transportation, all the way to the consumer. Not forgetting about waste recycling. The new production plant is a vivid example of how to turn waste into a valuable resource in the circular economy. The circular economy must become the basis of the European economy.”

Continuing to expand the full-cycle circulation of waste in Latvia and beyond, the PET bottle recycling company “ITERUM” of the largest environmental resource management and recycling company group in the Baltics “Eco Baltia” opens a new factory in Olaine. The newly opened factory will be one of the largest and most modern PET processing plants in Northern Europe and one of the largest industrial buildings in Latvia, with a total indoor area of ​​approximately 30,000 square meters and an outdoor area of ​​approximately 40,000 square meters.

The “Eco Baltia” project was implemented with the support of “INVL Baltic Sea Growth Fund” and in cooperation with domestic industrial park developer SIA “Piche”. In turn, equipment suppliers are among the distributors of the most modern solutions, one of which is the Austrian manufacturer “Starlinger”. In Europe, equipment of this level has been installed in only two production plants, but in the world – ten. Thus, the plant will also be technologically one of the most modern PET processing plants in Europe and the world.

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*The latest “Statista” data on the amount of recycled waste in 2022 in the countries of the European Union.

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https://iterum.lv/

 

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