Innovation that improves profitability

The massive use of plastics in all industries, especially for packaging, generates an increasing volume of waste that is hard, if not impossible, to dispose of with traditional methods such as dumping sites. Since its founding in 1976, Tecnofer, located in Ceneselli, Rovigo, Italy, has recognized the need to find suitable technological solutions to significantly cut the waste flow to dumping sites.

The first automatic plastic recycling plants with the Tecnofer brand were used in the Italian market, and have since been exported all over the world. With more than a 1,000 customers in 60 countries, Tecnofer is a leader in this ever-changing industry, which requires constant technology research and development (R&D) combined with great passion and dedication.

Tecnofer’s mission includes designing and constructing equipment that is able to keep up with the evolution of polymer families and the resultant products that are introduced to the market. Achieving continuous product innovation is a major challenge for companies that wish to remain competitive in this industry.

Today’s research is focused on new types of materials to meet the demanding requirements of industries, such as automotive, food, packaging, electronics, construction and life sciences. Each type of industrial waste and residue is unique in terms of chemical and physical properties and contamination.

With Tecnofer’s technology and its capacity to support customers through all design stages, each recycling plant is made to order, combining quality and flexibility to deliver a turnkey solution. The company has grown by leveraging these attributes as well as by investing in people with the best skills, being active in the marketplace and constantly implementing its products to reinforce the trust of major global brands.

“Our company invests a large share of profits in R&D and brains,” says Vito Garbellini, founder and president. “We select people with ideas and the courage to implement them, with no fear of making mistakes. The result is a constant flow of innovation that improves the profitability of a plant for the customer, while it ensures Tecnofer constant business growth and the consolidation of our leadership position.”

Keeping up with changing demands

Ready to celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2016, Tecnofer recently expanded its expertise to include new applications for different types of waste, including pulper residues, products produced by the Tetra Pak Group, food packaging (separating content and packaging) and light metals.

“Market demand keeps changing and we are tailors who make dresses to measure,” Garbellini says. “We collect customer requests and develop a project according to their investment capacity, taking into account available waste volumes, their origin, composition and contamination.” Tecnofer’s typical customers are private companies with significant quantities of plastic waste that are often used to produce pellets and manufactured items, and that need to reduce their dependence on the petrochemical industry for raw materials.

“Our customer portfolio includes global corporations that can produce polymers from their own waste with recycled plastic volumes up to 120,000 to 140,000 tons annually,” says Garbellini. “Another category is solid waste collectors, who have realized that waste recycling offers more added value than dumping sites, where the costs for nonperishable material disposal are constantly rising.”