800 tonnes/day
designed collection capacity
Limburg Optimo Sorting
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.
- Location
- Biostoom Beringen, Belgium
- Client
- Bionerga, Limburg.net
- Segment
- Sorting
- Launch
- 2022
Project Overview
The Limburg Optimo Sorting Facility, developed by Bionerga and Limburg.net in Belgium, was launched in 2022 to serve 32 municipalities and provide smarter waste sorting for over 309,000 households. The facility currently processes five waste fractions: food waste, garden waste, textile waste, residual waste, and plastic/metal packaging, with the capacity to add two more fractions in the future.
The system promotes sustainable waste management, using bags made from recycled materials. Residents receive a quota of pre-paid residual waste bags, with additional charges for any excess waste. Recyclable waste is charged from the first bag but at a lower cost, incentivising residents to reduce residual waste and improve sorting habits.
The state-of-the-art sorting plant features 45 conveyor belts spanning over 650 metres, five waste buffer lanes (1,800 m³), and 12 double pusher units. Each fraction line can process up to 7,000 bags per hour, handling a total capacity of 800 tonnes of waste per day.
To further reduce environmental impact, municipalities use 100% HVO fuel for collection trucks. Thanks to the logistical efficiency of the facility, fuel savings range from 17–30%, depending on the number of fractions collected in each area.
5 fractions
food waste, garden waste, textile waste, residual waste, plastic/metal packaging
14 000 bags/hour
each of the two lines can handle up to 7000 bags per hour
309000 households
in 32 municipalities serviced
This installation puts us at the forefront of collecting and sorting household waste.
Stefan Geenen Site Director for Biostoom Beringen, Belgium
Optimised waste collection with advanced sorting technology
A sorting facility allows municipalities to streamline household waste collection into a cost-efficient system without modifying existing infrastructure.
Envac’s optical sorting solutions are suitable for cities and regions of all sizes. They reduce transport and collection costs by over 50% compared to traditional systems. These solutions can be seamlessly integrated with Envac’s smart waste collection system or a municipality’s existing method, ensuring cost-effective waste handling while significantly increasing recycling rates.
This technology makes it easy to comply with new packaging regulations (FNI) by offering:
- Compatibility with existing collection methods and equipment
- Higher recycling rates, space savings, and improved user satisfaction
- Support for environmental targets, helping communities achieve sustainability goals
Whenever we have a new recycling technology for a material that our citizens want to sort, we are already prepared to implement that new fraction. The cost of logistics, often dictating the cost analysis, has become almost irrelevant in this new business case and certainly unrelated to the collected volume or participation of households.
Wim Govaerts Innovation Manager, Limburg.net, Belgium
Eskilstuna in Sweden is leading the way
The municipality of Eskilstuna was among the first in Sweden to offer its residents property-based collection. When the demands of the national goals increased, the municipality transitioned to an optical sorting solution from Envac as early as 2010. Environmental goals of 50% waste sorting were achieved within just a few months.
The facility, which sorts out six fractions, is owned and operated by ESEM (Eskilstuna Strängnäs Energy and Environment Ltd). Eskilstuna today has several municipalities connected to the system, and they are among the leading municipalities in Sweden in recycling.
In 2023, Eskilstuna municipality, as one of the few municipalities, was able to lower its waste collection and disposal fees for residents with maintained low fees throughout 2024. The optical sorting facility contributes to this by being a flexible system where it is easy to expand the number of fractions.
Projects
Our innovative waste collection system helps shape smart and sustainable cities. By reducing emissions and providing clean, green and sanitary waste inlets for both residents and commercial actors, we want to improve the quality-of-life in the city.
Sorting Tromsö, Norway
Tromsö
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.
Sorting Oslo, Norway
Oslo
Sorting Oslo is a waste collection project in Norway’s capital, using Envac’s pneumatic system to improve recycling efficiency. It supports Oslo’s environmental goals by enabling automated waste sorting. The system reduces carbon emissions and enhances urban sustainability.
Cities Bergen, Norway
Bergen
Proud of its historical city centre, with narrow streets and wooden buildings, Bergen has taken steps to safeguard its cultural heritage from fire. By opting for pipe-based waste collection instead of traditional bin-based collection, Bergen has become a global trailblazer.
Related Projects
Sorting Eskilstuna, Sweden
Eskilstuna
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 Linköping, Sweden
Linköping
The target is a region Östergötland without fossil fules in 2030. This was the main political factor for the municipality of Linköping to introduce household collection of food waste using optical sorting.
Sorting Halmstad, Sweden
Halmstad
The plant is owned and operated by HEM (Halmstad Energi och Miljö AB). It’s built for two fractions, food and rest, with the option to easily extend it to six fractions. The brand new building also contains a pre-treatment facility for the sorted food waste, which becomes biofuel.