Sulayr Recycling, a Spain-based recycler specialising in thermoformed PET trays, has partnered with TOMRA Recycling to strengthen its tray-to-tray recycling operations and improve process stability for food-grade recycled PET production. The collaboration focuses on integrating advanced optical sorting technologies into Sulayr’s industrial recycling process to handle complex post-consumer PET tray waste streams.
Sulayr processes transparent PET trays collected through post-consumer waste streams under Extended Producer Responsibility systems. These materials often contain mixed PET types, multilayer structures and other polymer contaminants, making recycling into food-contact packaging technically demanding.
To address these challenges, the company worked with TOMRA to co-design and optimise the sorting architecture of its recycling line. The collaboration included consultancy on machine configuration, positioning and pre-treatment processes to ensure consistent feedstock quality before sorting.
At the centre of the system are TOMRA’s dual-track AUTOSORT sorting unit and the INNOSORT FLAKE system. The process chain includes material reception, tray-level optical sorting, washing, grinding, flake purification and extrusion into tray-grade recycled PET.
The AUTOSORT configuration enables two independent sorting steps within a single machine. In the first stage, PET Clear and Light Blue material is positively separated from the mixed waste stream. In the second stage, non-target materials are removed through negative sorting to produce high-purity PET output suitable for recycling into new trays.
Sulayr currently supplies recycled PET materials to more than 100 customers across Europe. In 2025, the company produced over 50,000 tonnes of recycled PET, equivalent to a daily output of more than four million trays.
The project reflects ongoing industry efforts to expand tray-to-tray recycling and improve circular material flows in PET packaging. While bottle-to-bottle recycling is already well established, recycling thermoformed PET trays remains more complex due to material variability and stricter food-contact quality requirements.