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.

Tomra Recycling, a leader in the production 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, said, “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.”

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.”