How AB Plasta and Tomra are setting new recycling standards in the Baltics

Located in Vilnius, Lithuania, AB Plasta—part of the CEDO Group, one of Europe’s leading producers of plastic bags—has achieved an industry milestone: the ability to produce high-quality PCR film recyclate exclusively from post-consumer flexible packaging waste.

The company’s success is the result of a tailored approach that combines raw material optimization and sensor-based sorting, a strategy that supports both operational efficiency and compliance with Europe’s ambitious PPWR (Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation).

Danas Poderis, Managing Director of AB Plasta: “Sorting flexible packaging waste into high-quality fractions is one of the most complex challenges in plastic recycling. By adapting the post-consumer input material to our lines and integrating TOMRA’s advanced AUTOSORT™ SPEEDAIR as part of a customized sorting process, we managed to overcome those. We are now able to process post-consumer PE film and produce consistent, high-purity recyclates that meet the demanding expectations of our end customers.”

With over 60 years of experience in plastic processing, AB Plasta is one of the largest polyethylene recyclers in Central and Eastern Europe. The company integrates recycling and manufacturing in a single plant for a fully circular production model, handling both post-consumer and commercial film streams on the same line. The plant produces approximately 35,000 tonnes of recyclate annually, operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Turning a challenge into a circular opportunity

Processing flexible film waste, particularly from multiple European sources, is considered a complex task. The input streams are highly contaminated and varied in material composition, making it difficult to produce recyclates of consistent purity suitable for reuse in new packaging. Additionally, this material is extremely low in density and often sticky due to organic residues and moisture. It is precisely here that technologies such as AUTOSORT™ SPEEDAIR, which stabilizes the material on the belt, are crucial to ensuring high throughput and overall economic viability.

“Plasta needed a solution that would enable 100% recycled content in its products without compromising on quality. The goal was clear: stable 24/7 operation, high throughput, and exceptional purity levels that meet the standards for direct reuse in consumer products,” explains Michał Bula, Sales Manager at TOMRA Recycling.

TOMRA’s complete process design

AUTOSORT™ SPEEDAIR boosts throughput and efficiency.  Images: TOMRA

TOMRA not only supplied the equipment but also played a key role in designing the entire material flow, ensuring stable and efficient plant operation from the very beginning.

The solution is built around a series of four AUTOSORT™ SPEEDAIR units—high-throughput, high-speed optical sorters developed specifically for stabilizing lightweight materials such as post-consumer plastic film. Their unique film stabilization system enables unmatched in-flight sorting performance, even with lightweight, irregular film fractions—delivering the throughput and purity needed for high-end PCR applications.

Once the baled flexible waste arrives at the facility, it undergoes shredding and pre-screening to prepare the material for optical sorting. Using TOMRA’s film sorting systems, the various plastic fractions are separated with high precision. The input material ranges in size from 20 mm up to 200 mm, allowing for optimal detection and classification across varied film types. A key feature of the process is the use of a fourth AUTOSORT™ SPEEDAIR unit, positioned at the end of the main sorting line to recover any remaining polyethylene film—resulting in a 90% overall process efficiency.

The cleaned film then passes through a washing and flotation process to remove any remaining contaminants. Afterward, the material is regranulated into high-quality recyclate.

Optimal performance with TOMRA Insight

Processing flexible film waste, particularly from multiple sources, is considered a complex task.

The facility is also connected to TOMRA Insight, a cloud-based monitoring platform. TOMRA Insight provides Plasta with real-time access to machine performance and sorting quality, enabling faster, data-driven decisions. Automatically generated daily reports help identify process inefficiencies and ensure consistent, stable production output.

Danas Poderis, affirms: “By having machine status and spare part consumption to near real-time sorting data all in one place, we can keep a close eye on efficiency. This is especially important as we adapt to increasingly demanding EU regulations like the PPWR, which require higher recycled content in packaging. The collaboration with TOMRA has been excellent—professional, technically strong, and focused on long-term results.”

Sustainability and compliance aligned

This project enables AB Plasta to meet the increasing demand for recycled content in packaging, driven by EU legislation and broader sustainability targets. By replacing virgin materials with high-quality recyclate, the company significantly reduces its carbon footprint and supports closed-loop production.

In addition to supplying recyclates, the company manufactures its own final products in-house, using the recovered material to produce garbage bags as well as film for construction and agricultural use. The entire process is conducted internally, enabling AB Plasta to reintroduce its own recyclates directly into production lines and supply film products with high recycled content to European retailers, distributors, and industrial clients.

The success of this project also positions it as a replicable model for similar initiatives across Europe, especially in regions aiming to upgrade their flexible packaging recycling infrastructure.