Belgium marks a significant milestone in its recycling journey as Morssinkhof-Rymoplast Group, a portfolio company of Ingka Investments since 2017, begins construction on a cutting-edge plastics recycling plant in Lommel. Once operational, the facility will serve around four million Belgian residents, covering nearly 80% of households.
A significant milestone in Belgium鈥檚 circular economy journey was marked today as Morssinkhof-Rymoplast Group broke ground on a cutting-edge plastics recycling facility in Lommel. The plant, a collaboration with the Belgian recycling organization Fost Plus, will process plastic packaging waste from approximately four million households鈥攁bout 80% of the country鈥檚 population.
The new facility will be the 13th operated by Morssinkhof-Rymoplast Group and its third in Belgium. It is designed to recycle common household items such as milk bottles, shampoo containers, and butter tubs into high-quality raw materials for use in packaging and other applications, including personal care products. The development is expected to create 65 new jobs and contribute significantly to Belgium鈥檚 growing domestic recycling capacity.
Despite ongoing challenges facing the recycling industry鈥攕uch as rising operational costs, labor shortages, and evolving regulatory demands鈥攖his project highlights a broader commitment to circularity, long-term investment, and collaborative solutions.
The facility is part of a broader 鈧�1 billion initiative by Ingka Investments, the investment arm of Ingka Group鈥攖he largest IKEA retailer. Ingka Investments has held a stake in Morssinkhof-Rymoplast since 2017 and is funding projects across Europe to strengthen recycling infrastructure and promote sustainable development.
鈥淭his groundbreaking marks a circularity milestone for households in Belgium,鈥� said Nathalie Van Edom, sustainability manager at IKEA Belgium. 鈥淎t Ingka Group, we already use recycled plastics from Morssinkhof-Rymoplast in our H脜LLBAR waste sorting bins. With this new facility, Belgians will see the impact of their recycling efforts directly鈥攑erhaps even welcoming back their own recycled butter tubs in the form of new products.鈥�
Belgium鈥檚 progress in plastics recycling has been significant. In 2018, just 9% of household plastic packaging was recycled within the country. That number has since surged to 69%, thanks to a combination of technological innovation and strong cooperation between citizens, industry, and government. With additional facilities planned, the domestic recycling rate is projected to exceed 75% by next year.
Evy Morssinkhof, responsible for organization and business development at Morssinkhof-Rymoplast, emphasized the company's commitment to the circular economy. 鈥淒espite the challenges, we remain focused on transforming plastic waste into high-quality materials that can be reused repeatedly. This plant is more than infrastructure鈥攊t鈥檚 a promise to Belgian households that their recycling efforts truly matter.鈥�
The Lommel facility is scheduled to begin operations in the coming months, reinforcing Belgium鈥檚 role as a leader in sustainable waste management and circular innovation.
