Plastic Recycling : STADLER strengthens 25-year partnership with BZB in Spain through new sorting plant

STADLER Anlagenbau GmbH, a German company that operates globally and specialises in planning, producing and assembling turnkey sorting plants, has successfully completed the comprehensive modernisation of the BZB (Bizkaiko Zabor Berziklategia) light packaging sorting plant in Amorebieta-Etxano, Bizkaia. The upgraded facility was officially inaugurated on 27 January 2026, with representatives from BZB, Ecoembes and STADLER, as well as regional stakeholders, in attendance. This upgrade represents a significant advance in terms of capacity, automation and digitalisation, enabling BZB to increase its throughput, improve material purity and ensure its operations remain fit for purpose in line with evolving regulatory and market demands.

A public-private partnership involving Garbiker (part of the Provincial Council of Bizkaia) and Trienekens País Vasco, BZB has been a pioneer in sustainable waste management and recycling in the region. Specialising in the collection, sorting, and processing of packaging waste, BZB transforms household and commercial materials into valuable recyclables, playing a vital role in promoting circular economy initiatives across Bizkaia.

The modernisation project holds particular significance for STADLER. The original BZB plant, commissioned in 2002, was STADLER's first turnkey sorting facility in Spain, laying the foundation for the company's long-term presence in the country. Nearly 25 years later, BZB has once again entrusted STADLER with the design and delivery of a new-generation plant, reflecting the strength of a partnership grounded in technical expertise and a shared commitment to sustainability and innovation.

The construction of the first BZB plant in 2002 represented a bold step for both parties. Garbiker and Trienekens País Vasco entrusted STADLER with delivering their first complete sorting facility in Spain.

'This plant is personally very meaningful to me,' says Carlos Manchado Atienza, STADLER's International Sales Director. 'It was the first full facility contract we signed in Spain when I was acting as STADLER’s distributor. Being able to sign the contract for the new BZB plant today as part of the STADLER team is a true source of pride. I feel genuinely honoured to be part of this journey and to see how far we have come.”

'The modernisation of our plant is transformative for BZB,' adds Pedro Goicoechea, BZB Amorebieta's General Manager for the Basque Country. ‘It allows us to increase efficiency and recover more materials, while positioning us to meet future challenges and sustainability goals.’

Rather than relocating the plant, BZB has decided to modernise it, reflecting its commitment to maximising the use of existing infrastructure while adopting the most advanced sorting technologies available. Working within the constraints of the original building required precise planning and compact design solutions, but ultimately resulted in a highly efficient, modern installation that far exceeds the performance of its predecessor.

The sorting criteria were defined in close coordination with Ecoembes, a key system partner in the planning and implementation of the facility. BZB would like to thank the entire Ecoembes team for their cooperation.

The new BZB plant increases processing capacity from 3 to 8 tonnes per hour, delivering higher recovery rates and cleaner output fractions while more than doubling throughput. The facility is designed to handle a wide range of light packaging waste and produces high-quality fractions, including PET, HDPE, PP, PS, two types of film and ferrous and non-ferrous materials.

Incoming material is fed into the system via an automatic feeder and a pre-shredding stage, which opens bags and loosens the waste stream. A trommel then separates the material into three size fractions, each of which is processed independently using a combination of STADLER ballistic, magnetic, and inductive separators, as well as high-performance NIR optical sorters. The sorted materials are conveyed to dedicated bunkers and baled for shipment.

The plant features reversible conveyors for flexible material routing, as well as bunker level sensors and automatic container change signalling, all of which optimise day-to-day operations. All processes are fully supervised by a central monitoring system to ensure high transparency and operational control.

A key feature of the new installation is its high level of automation. Compared to the original 2002 plant, the modernised facility uses space far more efficiently and reduces the need for manual intervention. These improvements contribute to lower operating costs and increased overall efficiency, while also improving working conditions for operators.

One of the project's most innovative aspects is the integration of STADLERconnect, STADLER’s digital platform for plant monitoring and maintenance. The BZB facility is the company’s first Spanish plant to benefit from STADLERconnect Predictive Maintenance, which enables continuous supervision of equipment condition and supports proactive maintenance strategies to maximise uptime.

Beyond performance gains, the modernisation strongly supports sustainability and circular economy objectives. By improving sorting accuracy and recovery rates, the plant significantly reduces the amount of waste sent to landfill or final disposal, while enabling more materials to re-enter the value chain as secondary raw materials. Improved energy efficiency per tonne processed further enhances environmental performance.

The project was completed in a remarkably short timeframe, with assembly taking just three and a half months. Commissioning was completed at the end of October, two months earlier than originally scheduled, highlighting the close collaboration between STADLER and BZB.

The successful delivery of the modernised plant has met with strong customer satisfaction, as Pedro Goicoechea explains: “Completing the project ahead of schedule demonstrates the strength of our partnership with STADLER and their commitment to excellence. The modernisation ensures that we are ready to meet future challenges while continuing to provide the region with high-quality waste sorting services.”

Carlos Manchado Atienza concludes, “I would like to sincerely thank the entire Trienekens team in Spain and Germany, and in particular Mr Joachim Domrös, Trienekens' Managing Director, for their outstanding professionalism throughout the negotiation and installation process. 'Everything was handled smoothly and efficiently, and it has been a real pleasure working with them.'

Looking ahead, the high degree of automation and integration of predictive maintenance ensure the BZB plant is well prepared for long-term operational excellence. For STADLER, the project is a technological showcase and a powerful symbol of continuity, linking the company’s first turnkey plant in Spain with the next generation of intelligent, digitalised sorting facilities.

You can see the plant in operation in this video.