In 2023, the Hera Group launched a pioneering project aimed at recovering one of the most challenging waste materials in the recycling sector: PET dust – a fine, heterogeneous residue resulting from the treatment of mixed plastics.
Each year, this fraction accounts for approximately 450 tons of material at risk of remaining unused. Hera’s initiative set out to transform it into a concrete resource by creating an industrial supply chain capable of repurposing it into new products for household waste sorting, such as containers and composters.
The goal: to close the recycling loop with a truly sustainable and circular approach, restoring value to what was previously considered an unusable waste.
To take on this challenge, Hera partnered with companies capable of working with unconventional materials. Sartori Ambiente was selected for the production of a special series of Horto composters, made entirely from PET dust.
The project required significant technical adaptation: an existing mold was re-engineered to accommodate a material with properties entirely different from conventional plastics—a tangible demonstration of the design flexibility and innovative capacity that define the company’s daily operations.
The pilot project led to the production of 400 Horto composters, which will be distributed in the Municipality of San Lazzaro di Savena, near Bologna. The composters made with this new raw material have obtained the “Second Life Plastic” certification, a recognition that confirms their recycled content and compliance with environmental criteria.
Sartori Ambiente is proud to contribute to an initiative that tangibly demonstrates how the circular economy can be applied even to the most critical waste fractions, generating value for both the environment and local communities.