27.000
tons of waste per year
Due to the requirement to offer property-proximate collection of packaging waste by 2027 at the latest, Halmstad Municipality chose to solve this with optical sorting.
The main reason for choosing optical sorting was that the system provides efficient logistics, minimal impact for property owners, and is cost-effective. Different coloured bags are disposed of in the same bins as before, and the same waste collection vehicles are used.
Selected pilot areas are now up and running, sorting six different fractions: Brown bag: Cardboard, Blue bag: Newspapers, Purple bag: Plastic, Grey bag: Metal, Green bag: Food waste, Colourless bag: Residual waste. After the summer, all 30,000 households will be connected to the new, expanded sorting system.
Follow SVT and Halmstad Energi & Miljö (HEM) inside the facility here.
tons of waste per year
fractions in selected pilot areas
Cardboard, Newspapers, Plastic, Metal, Food waste, Residual waste
households
connected
bags an hour
at capacity
The facility is owned and operated by HEM (Halmstad Energi och Miljö AB). It started with two fractions, food waste and residual waste, but selected pilot areas now sort six fractions: Brown bag: Cardboard, Blue bag: Newspapers, Purple bag: Plastic, Grey bag: Metal, Green bag: Food waste, Colourless bag: Residual waste.
The new, complete building also houses a pre-treatment facility for the sorted food waste, which is converted into biofuel.
The facility is capacity-adjusted for the new collection responsibility for packaging that is transferred to the municipalities.
The hope is to sort out more fractions in the future and to accept waste from more municipalities.
The choice fell upon optical sorting, because it could be introduced with a minimum of efforts for the company and the households
Åsa Montan Halmstad Energi och Miljö AB
Sorting Biostoom Beringen, Belgium
The Limburg Optimo Sorting Facility, launched in 2022, serves 32 municipalities and over 300,000 households. It currently sorts five waste fractions: food waste, garden waste, textile waste, residual waste, and plastic/metal packaging. The facility is built to be flexible, with the option to add two more fractions in the future.
Sorting Eskilstuna, Sweden
Eskilstuna was early with household waste recycling. With the higher demands of The National Goals the municipality introduced optical sorting. Within only a few months the target of 50% sorted waste was accomplished.
Sorting Tromsö, Norway
The plant sorts five waste fractions and operates in synergy with a pneumatic waste collection system. This integrated approach enhances recycling efficiency and supports Tromsö’s commitment to sustainable waste management in an Arctic environment.