Romanian Green Group Intends to Build Plastic Processing Plant in Slovakia
Bratislava, November 7 (TASR) – The Romanian Green Group intends to invest €8.5 million in building a plant for processing PET bottles and mixed plastics in Slovakia, Environment Minister Laszlo Solymos (Most-Hid) told a news conference on Tuesday, adding that the investment would create 100 new jobs.
The firm is not applying for any state assistance. The locality where the plant should be built is not known for now. The group’s co-founder, Constantin Damov, declined to specify the location with regards to the ongoing talks. He only ruled out it being in Bratislava. The plant should be put into operation in late September 2018. At first it will offer 80 jobs, joined by additional ones later, he said.
Damov said that Green Group’s first investment in the green and circular economy won’t be the last in Slovakia. “It’s just the first step within a much more ambitious project through which we will support a circular economy in Slovakia,” said Damov.
The planned capacity of the new plant is 30,000 tonnes of plastic bottles and mixed plastics. A high as possible share of the waste material will be acquired in Slovakia and will also be cleaned and shred in Slovakia. Components for the automotive industry will subsequently be manufactured in Romania from the material obtained in Slovakia.
The Environment Ministry’s State Secretary Norbert Kurilla said that the investment is chiefly significant from an environmental viewpoint. Some 120,000 tonnes of plastic packages were introduced into the Slovak market last year, with only 69,000 tonnes of this being separated. “The economic model when economic growth goes hand in hand with respect for the environment creates room for job opportunities, innovations and actual permanently sustainable growth,” added Kurilla.
According to Solymos, the new investment fits with efforts to fight landfills in Slovakia. “There’s a need to separate and recycle more. This is one of the reasons why we are changing the waste policy in Slovakia, we are preparing an increase in fees for landfill use and paying attention to education projects,” said Solymos.
Green Group was founded in 2002. The holding is currently comprised of six companies involved in waste collection, transport, processing and recycling, as well as production of polyester fibres from 100-percent recycled PET materials. It uses modern environment-friendly technologies. The Romanian holding also runs branches in Serbia and Macedonia.
