TOMRA supports Henkel to optimize packaging for ­recycling

Product manufacturers have a major role to play in the success of recycling. Both TOMRA and Henkel recognize this and are working together to test the consumer-goods producer’s packaging for sortability, prior to market launch.

Valerio Sama, Market Strategy Manager – Packaging at TOMRA Recycling, presented the AUTOSORT™-Scanner to Henkel employees
© TOMRA Recycling Sorting

TOMRA Recycling, one of the leading producers of sensor-based sorting technology, and Henkel, an international operator in the consumer goods and adhesives industry, want to further advance the sortability of packaging. The manufacturer of globally recognized branded products such as Schwarzkopf, Persil and Pritt has installed one of TOMRA’s detection systems in its test laboratory. Going forward, this will be used to test packaging before it is launched on the market to see whether it has the right properties for easy sorting and recycling, after disposal.

Dr. Volker Rehrmann, EVP and Head of TOMRA Recycling: “Sorting is an essential step in ensuring that packaging can be recycled instead of ending up in incineration plants. At TOMRA, we know how product packaging needs to be designed so that modern sorting technologies can recognize it clearly, and we have made it our mission to share this knowledge. A functioning circular economy is only possible if everyone involved in the value chain works together. That’s why collaborations like the one with Henkel are so important.”

  In the future, the test sorting system will clarify whether the packaging has the right properties to allow it to be sorted properly and recycled in
a second step
© TOMRA Recycling Sorting

“Design for Recycling”

The test system at Henkel’s site in Düsseldorf is TOMRA’s AUTOSORT™, which has been on the market for almost 30 years and is a multi-functional sorting solution. The scanner is equipped with a near-infrared and a VIS sensor. Using this sensor combination, the device not only detects the product material type, such as plastics like PP, PET, HDPE or paper, but also the color of the packaging, which can be decisive for sortability. The AUTOSORT™ from the market leader in sensor-based sorting has been installed in around 100 countries worldwide to date, enabling Henkel to quickly and efficiently achieve results that meet those of real-life industrial plants.

Alba Santmarti, Packaging Sustainability Manager at Henkel Consumer Brands, adds: “Design for Recycling is an integral part of the product development process at Henkel. We invest in our in-house capacities to check the sortability of our consumer goods packaging at an early stage. This is the only way to recycle valuable materials in subsequent steps and close material cycles.”