Since their initial agreement in 2020, the two companies have worked collaboratively to divert Icelandic waste resources from landfills to efficient EfW facilities in the Nordics. With a growing focus on waste export in Iceland, the cooperation is now expanded with an annual 25,000 tonnes stream of RDF to the EU.
The extended export is made possible by the waste producer Islenska Gamafélagid’s recent opening of a new waste sorting line. The new facility boasts a capacity to handle up to 200,000 tonnes of waste per year, sorting solid waste into four primary fractions: waste plastics, wood, metals, and paper. The two companies are now planning the logistics for bringing more fractions to fine sorting facilities and offtakers in Europe.
Jon Thórir Frantzson, General Manager at Islenska Gamafélagid, expressed his views on the expansion.
"By upgrading our facility with advanced sorting technologies, we are gearing up for a near future where landfill options are limited. This investment will not only elevate our processing capabilities, but also contribute to more sustainable waste management in Iceland. Our extended partnership with Geminor will streamline these efforts, bringing more waste resources to Europe," says Jon Thórir Frantzson.
Exporting new fractions
Geminor is now planning to include waste wood and plastics in its export portfolio. Plastics will be sent from Iceland to ReSource Denmark's fine sorting facility in Esbjerg, in close cooperation with Geminor subsidiary Polynate. In contrast, waste wood will be sent to Sweden and Riga for recovery and material recycling.
Helga Eggertsdottir, Senior Operations Associate at Geminor, explains that the extended cooperation brings a new dimension to waste export from Iceland.
“Europe – and therefore also Island – is phasing out landfill, and Icelandic waste will need better sorting. Limited domestic capacity for recycled resources means the need for export will increase. This growing stream is made possible due to the substantial capacity of returning container transport from Iceland”, says Eggertsdottir.
“The alliance between Geminor and Islenska Gamafélagid will continue to leverage Icelandic waste as a resource, optimizing the environmental and economic benefits of recycling. This cooperation is therefore reinforcing both companies' commitment for a more sustainable waste management industry,” concludes Helga Eggertsdottir, Senior Operations Associate at Geminor.
