Page 38 - Plastics News February 2026

FEATURE NEWS
sential. AI can boost accuracy, cut costs, and
reduce energy use. At Tomra's Områ sorting fa-
cility in Norway, state-of-the-art sorting technol-
ogy and solutions power a system capable of
processing all of the country's plastic waste.
Omra, Norway's new national, high-tech facility
for sorting mixed plastic packaging waste, is a
joint venture between Tomra and Plastretur. Im-
age courtesy of Tomra
2. Circularity becomes a core strategy.
A circular economy powers prosperity, jobs, and
resilience while cutting greenhouse gas emis-
sions, waste, and pollution.
"Circular systems are shifting from niche sustain-
ability goals to core industrial strategy, helping
tackle climate change, dependence on virgin
materials, and geopolitical risks from resource
imports. Leading businesses now see circular-
ity not as 'doing less harm,' but as a driver of
competitiveness. Expect this shift to accelerate
in 2026 under the EU's Clean Industrial Deal,
the Circular Economy Act, and in preparation of
the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation
38 PLASTICS NEWS
(PPWR), supported by clearer reporting frame-
works from the Global Circularity Protocol."
3. Automation cuts food loss.
Food loss and waste account for 8 – 10% of an-
nual global greenhouse gas emissions, costing
$1T annually.
"By 2030, the EU wants food processors and
manufacturers to cut waste by 10%. This will
likely accelerate a major shift toward auto-
mation, with AI-based sorting at the center —
boosting accuracy and reducing product loss
to move the industry closer to near-zero waste.
For example, Tomra's 4C sorter, which uses
advanced sensors and deep learning, achieves
false reject rates below 1% for nuts to set a
new benchmark helping manufacturers meet
increasingly ambitious waste-reduction goals."
4. Cities get smarter on resources.
There's a strong link between waste generation
and economic growth.
"More than half the world's population now lives
in cities, and rapid urbanization is putting in-
creasing pressure on waste systems. We expect
more cities to adopt smart, convenient solutions
to manage this growing challenge in 2026. In
Aarhus, for example, Tomra's reverse-vending
machines collected over 1.5M reusable cups in
less than two years — showing how smarter ur-
ban systems can make circular living part of eve-
ryday life. Similarly, organizers of sports events
and festivals are turning towards reusable op-
tions to address environmental and efficiency
concerns."
5. Deposit return systems go mainstream.
February 2026