Call for partners: Recycling of plastics

Focus on Improving the Quality of Plastic Recycling 

The goal for Copenhagen Municipality is to recycle 60% of household waste – including plastic – by 2030. To achieve this, both increased recycling and better waste sorting quality are required. A key aspect of recycling is improving the quality of the materials that are recycled. When recycling results in high-quality plastic materials, they can be reused in products of the same type from which they originated. For example, food packaging or cosmetics packaging. This helps keep resources in circulation for a longer time and reduces the need for new plastic – which brings both climate and economic benefits. 

The Challenge of Plastic Waste 

Currently, plastic packaging from food products makes up just over half of the plastic waste collected from households in Copenhagen. To improve recycling quality, it is necessary to find new solutions that can sort and clean plastic waste more efficiently, so the recycled materials have more applications and can be used in high-value products. 

Technology and Innovation as a Solution 

Copenhagen Municipality sees great potential in using advanced technologies such as image recognition, machine learning, and artificial intelligence (AI) to identify specific plastic products in the waste stream. The technology can help sort plastics more accurately, so they can be directed to the appropriate recycling streams – for example, for the production of new food packaging or cosmetics packaging. Additionally, other technological innovations may also improve the quality of recycling. 

Collaboration for Solutions 

Copenhagen Municipality is seeking private partners for one or more partnerships focused on developing and testing new solutions for sorting and recycling plastic waste. These partnerships will help develop technological solutions that ensure plastic is recycled to a high quality and used in products that keep resources in circulation for longer. 

How Can You Contribute? 

Copenhagen Municipality will provide test samples of household plastic waste that can be used to test and develop solutions. Private partners are expected to contribute both co-funding and resources such as time or expert knowledge. Additionally, the results of the project will be shared publicly, so the knowledge gained can be used by other actors in the future. 

Project Timeline and Expectations 

The project is expected to run from 2024 to 2025, and we are looking for partners who are ready to contribute to the development of future plastic recycling solutions. The partnership offers the opportunity to help shape and test innovative solutions that benefit both the environment and open up new business opportunities.