Page 22 from: Recycling International – free September/October Issue

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In 2019 Greentech Baltic was founded,
with a primary focus on PET operations
within the region.
Also, part of the GreenGroup since
2022, Esco, based in Lithuania, special-
ises in plastic recycling and the produc-
tion of plastic granules. The company
processes 30 000 tonnes of plastic
bags annually, sourced from both
households and industries. It produces
20 000 tonnes of LDPE granules each
year, supplying packaging industries,
retailers, and various other industrial
sectors.
Green Group’s most recent addition in
Lithuania is Zalvaris, a leading company
specializing in the management of
industrial waste flows. Alongside Eltex
in Romania, these two companies con-
stitute the backbone of an essential ver-
tical within the group, aimed at provid-
ing sustainable solutions for businesses
to effectively manage their outputs.

INVESTORS
Since 2016, GreenGroup has been
majority owned by Abris Capital
Partners, one of the leading private
equity investors in Central Europe.
With a strong track record of sustain-
able investing and a commitment to
driving positive environmental, social,
and governance (ESG) outcomes, Abris
Capital Partners has consistently dem-
onstrated its dedication to creating
long-term value for its portfolio com-
panies and stakeholders.

cling and re-manufacturing of waste:
plastics, e-scrap, glass, batteries.
GreenGroup claims to have the first
full-scale industrial recycling park in
southeast Europe with subsidiary oper-
ations and businesses across Romania,
Slovakia and, most recently, Lithuania.
It is the largest recycling business in
central eastern Europe, with integrated
operations, a diversified portfolio
across key recycling streams and
access to broad collection schemes for
both packaging and electronics.
The group covers 11 companies alto-
gether processing almost 500 000
tonnes of scrap per year. Total invest-
ments amount to EUR 200 million.

LEVEL PLAYING FIELD A MUST
‘That is a lot of money,’ agrees
GreenGroup chairman and co-founder
Constantin Damov over coffee at the
company meeting room. ‘For example,
we’ve put close to EUR 15 million into
a dry blend operation for PET bottles –
a solution to the growing challenge of
water shortage.’
Damov is more than happy both to
invest and follow environmental rules.
‘It’s the best for all of us,’ he says. ‘I
fully support the EU’s Green Deal but
I’m afraid it can only be a success if we
all participate. The Green Deal will go
bankrupt if businesses worldwide are
not going the circular way. So you
need global regulation and enforce-
ment to make sure it happens – as we
all hope it will.’

MASSIVE PET STREAM
One of GreenGroup’s biggest subsid-
iary businesses is GreenTech, said to be
among the largest PET bottle recyclers
in Europe. With an input capacity of 150
000 tonnes per year, Greentech is a
major producer of polyester staple fiber,
PET strap, r-PET granules (bottle-to-
bottle food grade) and washed flakes.
Today Greentech has facilities in
Romania (Buzau) but also in Slovakia
and Lithuania. GreenTech’s ceo is Alina
Genes.

POLYESTER FIBRE MAJOR
GreenFiber (now operating under the
GreenTech umbrella) was set up in
2004 and is currently among the larger

producers of recycled polyester fibre in
Europe supplying the hygiene, auto-
motive and textiles industries in
Europe, Australia and the Americas.
The recycled polyester staple fibre is a
‘100% environmentally friendly prod-
uct, made with state-of-the-art technol-
ogy’ and using only recycled PET.

GREENWEEE INTERNATIONAL
Launched in 2009, with an initial invest-
ment of EUR 10 million and reaching
EUR 40 million in 2023 with three recy-
cling plants in Romania, GreenGroup’s
electronics recycling division,
GreenWEEE, has one the most
advanced treatment plants in Europe,
with a capacity of 100 000 tonnes per
year. The company is the first plant in
Europe to receive the WEEELABEX
certificate under LIFE+ pilot project
and ‘one among very few existing’ in
Europe to be WEEELABEX certified.
The company ensures safe and modern
recycling services for all electric and
electronic equipment, batteries, cables,
and parts from the automotive industry,
as well as a dedicated flat panel display
and cathode ray tube recycling line.
GreenWEEE recovers over 98% of
materials and the output is ferrous and
non-ferrous metals (copper, alumini-
um), plastic, glass, wood, cement and
printed circuit boards.
Ceo of GreenWEEE is Marius
Costache, who’s also responsible for
GreenGlass. With 20 years’ experience,
Costache is a well-known figure in the
European e-scrap scene. Since 2016,
he has been member of the board of
directors of European Electronics
Recyclers Association (EERA)

MILLIONS OF GLASS BOTTLES
GreenGlass was founded is 2013 and is
the largest glass recycler in Romania
with the capacity to handle 110 000
tonnes of glass per year. On a yearly
basis some 200 million glass bottles
are processed into cullets.

THE LITHUANIAN CONNECTION
Since 2019, GreenGroup has been
actively establishing a significant recy-
cling hub in Lithuania, with the aim of
creating a regional model of a circular
economy. At the fridge recycling line.Dismantling washing machines.

WHAT GOES THROUGH THEIR
FINGERS
PET
• Largest PET waste recycling facility in southeast

Europe (150 000 tonnes)
• Largest European producer of synthetic polyester

fibre made from 100% recycled PET (45 000
tonnes per year)

• Operations in Romania, Slovakia, and Lithuania

E-Scrap
• The largest WEEE plant in SE Europe (100 000

tonnes per year)
• Europe’s first recycling facility certified

WEEELABEX
• Three sites in Romania (Buzau and Campia Turzii)

Polyethylene
• Largest LDPE recycling facility in Lithuania (20

000 tonnes per year)

Glass
• Largest glass recycling facility in Romania (110

000 tonnes per year)

Industrial waste management
• Leading integrated waste management service

provider in Romania and Lithuania
• Servicing blue-chip clients: Amazon, Samsung,

Continental, GE & Bosch
• Industrial cleaning

Environmental services
• Extended producer responsibility compliance

scheme for packaging
• Servicing blue-chip clients: Heineken, Nestle,

Pepsi, Carrefour.
• Environmental software

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