TOMRA: Technology innovation and collaborative approach to increase sustainability

One of this year’s milestones of TOMRA’s strategy is to further increase sustainability and reduce its environmental impact. 

“Our solutions at the core are all about improving. We aim to increase recycling and make sure that nothing is wasted. We are currently working on our internal footprint because we believe there cannot be environmental improvement without improving ourselves. We don’t use much energy, we don’t use much transport. We are also working on a sustainability roadmap and commitments to reduce CO2 emissions. Also, we’re concerned about how we can make our product design more sustainable, and how we can use more recycled materials for it.”, comments Tove Andersen, President and CEO of the TOMRA Group. 

According to Michel Picandet, Executive Vice President and Head of TOMRA Food, food loss and waste are becoming more important. Thanks to technology, TOMRA Food can not only improve the situation by reducing waste and increasing yield, but also, thanks to the data collected, contribute to other stakeholders along the supply chain, starting with the suppliers and customers of our customers, for example inform the storage owners, notify the logistic platforms of what to expect from the shelf life of the product. 

“If you think of that, then your role is getting much bigger, not only for machines but also for farmers, retailers, and consumers. Thanks to a cloud-based data platform TOMRA Insight and a Food trust data chain, they will be able to know for how long products have been stored in cold or warm places, and many more. We have digital solutions that we want to share, and this cannot be accomplished alone; it needs to be on a collaborative approach. [...] In further perspective, we feel that with a technology-led approach like we have in TOMRA, we are in a good position, not only to provide the machines and the guidance but also to influence. And the influential part will be both in the private and public sectors. We have joined organizations, like WBCSD (World Business Council For Sustainable Development) where we have an active position to demonstrate that together we can do something positive about the future of Food.”, adds

With an objective to be at the forefront of innovative digital solutions, TOMRA invests 8% of its revenue every year into opportunities development. “We invest heavily into the future, and we believe this is needed to play a leading role and stay ahead of competition,'' says the CEO.  

Another important element of TOMRA Food’s strategy is to be as close as possible to its customers. 

Through COVID times, when it was nearly impossible to send engineers to other countries, TOMRA invested in different satellite offices to give more value to the support of customers and relationships. “We also now have a virtual dimension. We continue to invest a lot in digital solutions because this is the way to reach out to customers and physical presence. During the pandemic, we made live installations, remote demos and training without any technicians on-site - all kinds of support that you can imagine with the technology of today”, comments Picandet.

TOMRA Food is a globally recognized developer and manufacturer of sensor-based sorting machines and integrated post-harvest equipment for the food industry. With its progressive grading, sorting, peeling and analytical technology TOMRA seeks to help its customers to improve returns, gain operational efficiencies, minimize food waste, ensure quality and a safe food supply with sustainable technologies.

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