Fost Plus

What Fost Plus does

Fost Plus (Fost Plus vzw/asbl) is a Belgian non-profit organization founded in 1994 and headquartered in Evere (Brussels). It operates as the legally recognized Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme for household packaging waste in Belgium, managing the collection, sorting, and recycling of packaging placed on the Belgian market by member companies. The organization handles approximately 765,000 tonnes of packaging annually and, in 2022, achieved a 95% household packaging recycling rate with 81% processed domestically.

Fost Plus generates revenue primarily through mandatory Green Dot fees paid by member companies, with rates tiered by packaging material type and recyclability — packaging classified as difficult-to-recycle by the Interregionale Verpakkingscommissie (IVC) can carry fees up to 3,000% higher than standard rates, creating economic incentives for sustainable packaging design. Additional recurring revenue comes from member services, declarations via the MyFost portal, and consulting under the 'No regrets' PPWR playbook. Its product surface includes the Nieuwe Blauwe Zak (New Blue Bag) PMD collection system, the Betersorteren.be consumer guidance site, the Recycle! mobile app, De Sorteerwinkel e-commerce for sorting materials, and the Reduce & Re-Use MatchMaker advisory service.

Operationally, Fost Plus orchestrates a multi-stakeholder infrastructure of five high-tech sorting centers (operated by Indaver, Prezero, Valtris, Val'Up, Sitel) and four-plus recycling facilities including Ecoo Houthalen-Helchteren, Ecoo Beringen, FILAO, and the MOPET Belgium plant in Neufchâteau, with a new Lommel recycling plant opened in January 2026. The technology stack includes optical/infrared sorting, AI-powered sort-quality analysis, and digital watermarks (HolyGrail 2.0 / HolyGrail2030) developed with Digimarc, Pellenc ST, AIM, and brand partners including PepsiCo, Mondelez, Ferrero, and Pladis. Marketing and member engagement run through a multi-language website, blog, webinars, social channels (Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram), and national campaigns such as 'Safe Sorting' and the Smurfs Blue Bag campaign.

Name

Fost Plus

Legal name

Fost Plus vzw

Website

https://fostplus.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Extended Producer Responsibility (Packaging Waste Management)

NAICS

Packaging and Labeling Services (56191)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953), Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

Packaging Recovery & Closed-Loop Programs (Take-Back, Deposit-Return, EPR Support) (IMALAMAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Reusable Packaging & Refill Systems (Returnable Transport Items, Deposit/DRS Ops) (EUAIANAE), Reusable & Refill Packaging Systems (Returnable Packaging, Refill-at-Home/In-Store) (IMALAMAE)

Keywords

• Extended producer responsibility
• Packaging waste recycling
• Household waste sorting
• Green dot compliance
• Circular packaging economy

Headquarters

HQ city

Evere

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Green Dot fees (Extended Producer Responsibility): Companies placing packaged products on the Belgian market pay Green Dot fees to Fost Plus. The fees are based on the type and quantity of packaging materials, with higher rates for materials that are more difficult to recycle. This funds the collection, sorting, and recycling of household packaging waste.
2. Member services and declarations: Companies pay for membership and declaration services. Fost Plus provides services including sustainable packaging consulting, compliance support, and declaration systems (MyFost portal).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Fost Plus is the recognized Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) organization for household packaging in Belgium. It operates the Green Dot system, collecting Green Dot fees from companies that place packaged products on the Belgian market and using those funds to finance the collection, sorting, and recycling of household packaging waste through the Blue Bag (PMD) system and partner infrastructure.

Product overview

Fost Plus operates as the central organization driving Belgium's circular packaging economy. Their core offering is the Nieuwe Blauwe Zak (New Blue Bag) collection system for PMD packaging. The ecosystem includes the MyFost online portal for member declarations and services, De Sorteerwinkel for sorting materials, Betersorteren.be for consumer sorting guidance, and the Recycle! app for collection schedule notifications. Supporting services include the Groene Punt fee structure that incentivizes recyclable packaging design, EPR litter fees, and the Reduce & Re-Use MatchMaker advisory service for companies seeking to avoid or reuse packaging.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Nieuwe Blauwe Zak (New Blue Bag) PMD Collection System Belgium's flagship household PMD (Plastic, Metal, Drinks cartons) curbside collection system used by Belgian households to sort packaging waste via the blue bag. Funded by Green Dot fees paid by member companies.
• MyFost Member Portal

Quantifiable outcome

• 95% of household packaging recycled in 2022
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

23 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PepsiCocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 June 2026Partner in HolyGrail2030 – Flexible PP Belgium project, testing digital watermarks on flexible packaging to enable food-safe recycled content from chips bags and snack packaging.
• Mondelēz InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 June 2026Partner in HolyGrail2030 – Flexible PP Belgium project to develop food-grade recycled PP from flexible packaging.
• FerrerocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 June 2026Partner in HolyGrail2030 – Flexible PP Belgium project for digital watermarks on flexible packaging.
• PladiscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 June 2026Partner in HolyGrail2030 – Flexible PP Belgium project for digital watermarks and food-safe recycled content.
• Hündgen EntsorgungcoreTechnology or IntegrationGerman sorting facility conducting sorting trials for HolyGrail2030 project starting June 23, 2026, testing digital watermark detection technology.
• DigimarccoreTechnology or IntegrationProvides digital watermark technology for HolyGrail2030 project, enabling invisible codes on packaging for automatic sorting.
• Pellenc STcoreTechnology or IntegrationProvides sorting equipment with digital watermark recognition modules for HolyGrail2030 project.
• AIMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFacilitates the HolyGrail2030 international program with approximately 75 participating companies and organizations.
• Morssinkhof-Rymoplast GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch company operating the new plastics recycling plant in Lommel, Belgium, processing waste from 80% of Belgian households. Plant expected to create 65 jobs.
• Brussels Airport CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership under the Airport Waste Charter to improve sorting and recycling at Brussels Airport. Deploying liquid bins before security checkpoints doubled PMD collection rate.
• OVAMminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFlemish waste management agency collaborating on smart deposit pilot projects and company inspections for sorting compliance.
• IndavercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for chemical recycling of yogurt pots and foam trays in Plastics2Chemical facility, as well as operating sorting center in Willebroek.
• PrezerocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOperating high-tech sorting center in Evergem as part of the five sorting centers for New Blue Bag.
• ValtriscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOperating sorting center in Couillet as part of the five sorting centers for New Blue Bag.
• Val'UpcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOperating sorting center in Ghlin as part of the five sorting centers for New Blue Bag.
• SitelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOperating sorting center in Engis (Huy) with €40+ million investment, processing 40,000 tonnes annually with 46 employees.
• IntradelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntercommunale for waste collection in Liège region, partner in Sitel sorting center investment and New Blue Bag rollout.
• IdeluxcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntercommunale for waste collection in Luxembourg province, partner in MOPET Belgium recycling plant site and New Blue Bag rollout.
• NoshaqminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInvestment fund that participated in Sitel sorting center investment partnership.
• Ecobo Houthalen-HelchterencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecycling center for plastic packaging from blue bag, operational since 2022.
• Ecobo BeringencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecycling center for plastic packaging from blue bag, operational since 2022.
• FILAOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntegrated bottle-to-bottle PET recycling facility in Belgium, partially operational since end of 2022.
• MOPET BelgiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew PET recycling plant in Neufchâteau, built by Morssinkhof Rymoplast Group, with 40,000 tonne annual capacity and 50 full-time jobs created.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Veolia Environmental Services: Global environmental services operator with extensive MRF and recycling infrastructure. Comparable in collection, sorting, and recycling operations although broader scope than packaging-only.
• PreZero: Schwarz Group's environmental services arm operating sorting and recycling facilities, including Fost Plus's Evergem sorting center. Comparable in reverse logistics and MRF operations.

Direct peers

• Reciplas: Spanish packaging EPR scheme managing household and commercial packaging waste recovery. Comparable EPR mandate and member-funded model across Iberian markets.
• Citeo: France's EPR organization for household packaging under the same Green Dot/Picto model. Most analogous peer given shared EPR mandate, fee-for-packaging model, and member-driven non-profit structure.
• Valpak: UK compliance scheme for packaging EPR obligations. Comparable member-funded compliance and recycling administration business for brand owners.
• CONAI: Italian packaging consortium operating the national EPR system across multiple material streams. Similar non-profit, producer-funded structure managing collection and recycling.
• Recycle BC: Canadian EPR organization managing residential packaging and paper recycling in British Columbia with a similar producer-financed, household-collection-focused model.
• Der Grüne Punkt (DSD): Germany's flagship household packaging EPR system, operating dual systems since 1991. Closest continental peer in terms of scale, fee structure, and EPR compliance mandate.

Others

• TOMRA Systems: Provider of optical sorting technology used by Fost Plus's partner sorting centers. Comparable as enabling technology supplier in advanced packaging-sortation lines.

Regional players

• Stichting Verpact (Netherlands): Dutch EPR organization for packaging, operating adjacent to Belgium with overlapping retail/FMCG members. Useful regional comparison given shared Benelux packaging flows.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@Fost-Plus
• Facebookfacebook.com/fostplus
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fost-plus
• Instagraminstagram.com/fost.plus
• Xx.com/fostplus

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fost Plus