Plastic Sort
Plastic Sort is an Italian B2B plastic separation and processing company that uses a patented physical separation technology to deliver >99% purity polymer streams to industrial and post-consumer waste customers across WEEE, packaging, automotive, construction, and textile segments.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersImola, Italy
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Plastic Sort does
Plastic Sort S.r.l. is a privately held Italian plastic separation and processing company founded in 2010 in Imola (Bologna). The firm operates a single processing facility at Via dell'Agricoltura 9 and runs multiple production lines that accept mixed, post-consumer, and industrial plastic streams. Its six co-founders are all engineers who previously worked together at Studio Tecnico Multiprojecta, and the company has remained founder-led and bootstrapped, with no external funding rounds, parent company, or institutional investors identified in available disclosures.
The company's core technology is a patented physical separation process that uses an innovative principle analogous to a magnetic effect to identify and simultaneously separate crushed plastic particles (1-10mm) by polymer type, achieving reported purity values higher than 99%. Supporting modules include optical color sorting, ferromagnetic and eddy current metal separation (via partner Gauss Magneti), granulation (via partner CMG), proprietary depackaging, washing and drying systems, an in-house polymer analysis laboratory (spectrometry, MFI, density), and Industry 4.0 process monitoring. The technology platform addresses ten or more polymer families (HDPE, PP, PET, PVC, ABS, PS, PA6, PA6.6, TPU, PLA, MATER-BI) across five end-markets: WEEE/RAEE, packaging/food/pharma, automotive, building and construction, and textile/wear.
Plastic Sort generates revenue through three quote-based B2B streams: third-party polymer processing (grinding, metal purification, washing/drying, dust removal, polymer separation, color separation, depackaging), purchase of mixed plastics, and continuous supply of selected and purified materials suitable for direct use in customer production cycles without re-granulation. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and contracts are multi-year and customized. Go-to-market is sales-led and event-driven, relying on participation at European industry trade fairs (Ecomondo, Plast, K Düsseldorf), thought-leadership speaking engagements, the company website, and LinkedIn, rather than paid digital channels. The company has won three innovation/startup awards (Il Talento delle Idee 2010, Innovami Start-up 2010, Nuovamacut Best Performer 2012) and has participated in two EU/MIUR-funded R&D projects (SORT 2012, LIFE RESKIBOOT 2019), but no financial data, customer logos, or revenue figures have been publicly disclosed.
Plastic Sort firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Plastic Sort
- Legal name
- Plastic Sort S.r.l.
- Website
- https://plasticsort.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Plastic Sort is an Italian B2B plastic separation and processing company that uses a patented physical separation technology to deliver >99% purity polymer streams to industrial and post-consumer waste customers across WEEE, packaging, automotive, construction, and textile segments.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Plastic Sort is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Imola
- HQ country
- Italy
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Plastic Sort business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Third Party Polymer Processing: Processing services for synthetic materials including grinding, metal purification, washing and drying, dust removal, separation by polymer type, separation by color, and depackaging. Customers can use processed materials directly in production cycles without costly re-granulation.
- Mixed Plastics Purchase: Purchase of mixed plastics from suppliers for processing and separation.
- Continuous Supply of Processed Materials: Ongoing supply of selected and purified plastic materials to customers. Materials achieve purity values higher than 99%, suitable for direct use in production cycles.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom processing services with quote-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Plastic Sort product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Plastic Sort operates a plastic material separation and processing plant in Imola (Bologna), Italy, providing third-party processing of synthetic materials from post-consumer and industrial waste. Services include grinding, metal purification, washing and drying, dust removal, separation of synthetics by polymer type and by color, and depackaging, achieving purity values higher than 99%. The company also purchases mixed plastics and continuously supplies selected and purified materials for direct use in customers' production cycles.
Product overview
Plastic Sort is a plastic separation and processing company offering a unified portfolio of services centered around third-party polymer processing. The core offering includes processing of synthetic materials (grinding, metal purification, washing/drying, separation by polymer type and color, depackaging), purchase of mixed plastics, and continuous supply of purified materials. The company operates multiple production lines utilizing proprietary patented physical separation technology that achieves purity values exceeding 99%. Supporting modules include optical color sorting, metal separation using Gauss Magneti technology, proprietary depackaging machines, advanced laboratory services (spectrometry, MFI, density, mechanical testing), and Industry 4.0 process tracking capabilities. The company processes various polymer types including HDPE, PP, PET, PVC, ABS, PS, PA variants, TPU, PLA, and MATER-BI for markets including RAEE, Packaging/Food/Pharma, Automotive, Building & Construction, and Wear.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Third Party Polymer Processing
- Purchase of Mixed Plastics
- Continuous Supply of Selected and Purified Materials
Quantifiable outcome
- Purity values higher than 99% in plastic material separation
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Plastic Sort
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Plastic Sort technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature7 records
Plastic Sort partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Gauss MagneticoreGauss Magneti provides metal separation technologies used in Plastic Sort's processing lines. Technologies include magnetic deferrizers for ferromagnetic metal separation and eddy current separators for non-ferromagnetic metals (aluminum, copper).
- CMGcoreCMG (Budrio) provides granulators of various sizes used in Plastic Sort's grinding operations for processing plastic materials to 1-10mm particle size.
- InnovamicoreInnovami is a non-profit business incubator recognized by the Emilia-Romagna Region. Supported Plastic Sort's startup phase and awarded the company the Innovami Start-up 2010 award. Provides ongoing incubation support.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Plastic Sort competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Corepla: Italian non-profit consortium for the collection and recycling of plastic packaging from household waste. Comparable as a domestic Italian player coordinating post-consumer plastic collection and sorting that Plastic Sort services as a downstream processor.
- Revet Spa: Italian plastic recycling company operating in Tuscany, processing post-consumer plastics into secondary raw materials. Comparable as a regional Italian peer with mechanical recycling and plastic sorting operations.
Direct peers
- Aliplast: Italian plastics recycling company (part of Hera Group) focused on mechanical recycling of mixed and contaminated plastics into secondary raw materials. Closely comparable in service offering, geography, and customer base.
- Sorema (Previero): Italian supplier of washing, separation, and recycling lines for plastics. Comparable as a domestic Italian equipment and solutions provider serving the same plastic recycling customers as Plastic Sort.
- Montello S.p.A. Italian PET and HDPE recycler operating integrated collection, sorting and reprocessing of post-consumer plastics into food-grade rPET. Directly comparable as a domestic Italian plastic recycler serving packaging customers with high-purity output.
- Steinert: German supplier of magnetic separation, eddy current, and sensor-based sorting solutions widely deployed in plastics recycling facilities. Comparable as a sorting technology peer operating in Plastic Sort's core technology layer.
- Sesotec: German manufacturer of metal detectors, eddy current separators, and optical sorting systems for the plastics recycling industry. Comparable as a technology provider whose equipment (similar to Gauss Magneti for Plastic Sort) is used in plastic sorting lines.
Broad incumbents
- Erema: Austrian manufacturer of plastics recycling machinery (extrusion/pelletizing) widely used in mechanical recycling of post-consumer plastics. Comparable as a complementary technology provider whose pelletizing step Plastic Sort's process intentionally bypasses.
- TOMRA Sorting: Global leader in sensor-based sorting for food and recycling, including optical and NIR plastic sorting systems used in MRFs and PRFs. Comparable as a broad incumbent supplying sorting technology and operating services across the plastic recycling value chain.
- Herambiente: Italian waste management and recycling arm of Hera Group, one of Italy's largest multi-utility environmental services operators. Directly comparable as a domestic Italian plastic waste processor serving packaging and industrial customers with mechanical recycling capabilities.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Plastic Sort social profiles
Digital presencePlastic Sort financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Plastic Sort leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Plastic Sort funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Plastic Sort M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Plastic Sort
What does Plastic Sort do?
Plastic Sort operates a plastic material separation and processing plant in Imola (Bologna), Italy, providing third-party processing of synthetic materials from post-consumer and industrial waste. Services include grinding, metal purification, washing and drying, dust removal, separation of synthetics by polymer type and by color, and depackaging, achieving purity values higher than 99%. The company also purchases mixed plastics and continuously supplies selected and purified materials for direct use in customers' production cycles.
Is Plastic Sort a public or private company?
Plastic Sort is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Plastic Sort founded?
Plastic Sort was founded in 2010. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Plastic Sort based?
Plastic Sort is headquartered in Imola, Italy, in the Europe region.
How does Plastic Sort make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Third Party Polymer Processing is the primary driver. The others are mixed Plastics Purchase and continuous Supply of Processed Materials.
Who are Plastic Sort's main competitors?
Regional players on record are Corepla and Revet Spa. Direct peers are Aliplast, Sorema (Previero), Montello S.p.A., Steinert and Sesotec. Broad incumbents are Erema, TOMRA Sorting and Herambiente.
Does Plastic Sort have an API?
No public API is recorded for Plastic Sort.