Retec: A decade of partnership, innovation, and growth in Scandinavia

ReTec and Smicon have built a strong, decade-long partnership that is transforming food waste recycling, depackaging, and biogas production across Scandinavia. What started with a meeting at IFAT has grown into a strategic collaboration that helps public and private waste facilities achieve higher output quality, lower maintenance costs, and more reliable performance. With increasing demand for efficient depackaging equipment in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Iceland, Smicon’s robust technology and ReTec’s regional expertise offer a powerful solution for modern organic waste management.

In this article, we explore how the partnership began, what makes the Smicon machines stand out, trends shaping the Scandinavian sector, and how new innovations are opening doors to future opportunities.
 

How ReTec became a Smicon distributor

Sometimes the strongest partnerships happen unexpectedly, just like the one between ReTec and Smicon. At IFAT 2014, the two companies happened to have their booths next to each other. Although they had never heard of each other before, a single conversation was enough to spark a long-lasting and successful collaboration. Kjeld Jensen, founder of ReTec met Tonnie Smits, founder of Smicon and watched a video of what Smicon’s technology could do and was immediately convinced: this is something special. Today, twelve years later, the two companies continue to strengthen the Scandinavian market together.

ReTec has long been active in recycling technologies: balers and bale openers, sorting lines, heavy-duty shredders, mobile safety solutions, gypsum and insulation recycling, and biogas equipment. However, when it came to food waste processing, they were still working with other technologies. According to Kjeld, the decision was clear when he discovered Smicon: “When I saw what this technology can do, I knew: this is something we can support and grow in Scandinavia.”

Service that makes the difference

"One of the biggest advantages of our partnership with Smicon is the service," says Jan Frydkjaer, (Head of Sales, Service and Marketing) from ReTec. "We really appreciate their quick responses, the support with technical issues, and their ability to solve challenges swiftly. With parts readily available and short lines of communication, downtime is kept to an absolute minimum."

A memorable example was when a Service Engineer of Smicon travelled onsite for a major intervention, delivering hands-on training together with ReTec. According to Jan, such commitment is highly valued by customers and plays a key role in repeat sales.
 

Proud to represent Smicon

ReTec describes it as a pleasure to represent Smicon in Scandinavia. The high quality of the machines and Smicon’s strong market reputation make the work both enjoyable and rewarding. Experience has shown that Smicon machines not only perform better in the long term but are also easy to operate and maintain. ReTec sees this reflected in customer interactions: users are satisfied, often return for a second machine after their first successful experience, or choose to replace competitor machines with a Smicon.

Through its partnership with Retec, Smicon has successfully delivered numerous turn-key waste processing installations across Scandinavia. Notable projects include facilities in Haderslev, Västerås, Eskilstuna, Uppsala and Trige, demonstrating Smicon’s ability to provide reliable, high-capacity solutions tailored to the needs of the region.

Growth through Smicon technology

The Scandinavian market uses a range of depackaging and pre-treatment systems. But ReTec sees clear differences:

• Many competitor systems require extensive maintenance.
• Their output quality is lower.
• They use more space and energy.

Smicon’s durable and efficient design allows ReTec to offer both complete processing lines and stand-alone upgrades to existing facilities.

Smicon machinery has been essential to establishing ReTec’s market position in the biogas sector. The very first customer ReTec supplied with Smicon machinery recently returned to purchase the latest version, a clear testament to the machine’s quality, reliability, and  performance.

The Scandinavian market: opportunities & challenges

Demand for depackaging and recycling technologies remains strong, but political developments have a significant influence on the market. In Denmark, for example, the price paid for 1 m³ of gas has dropped sharply. As a result, companies are postponing investments, waiting for government support before committing to new biogas equipment.

Regulations also play an important role. In Sweden, the SPCR120 standard imposes strict requirements regarding contamination levels, requiring clean output before digestate reaches agricultural land. Thanks to Smicon’s clean output and the use of screens, ReTec can meet these demands effectively.

At the same time, cultural and operational differences shape the regional landscape. Denmark’s 98 municipalities each operate their own waste collection and processing systems, creating a fragmented market. Sweden works more streamlined through large publicly owned facilities because of national regulations in terms of waste separation and recycling.

Innovative research

Recently, ReTec partnered with a university on a groundbreaking research project exploring new possibilities in organics processing. The work is taking place in a research facility where scientists are developing next‑generation methods for extracting valuable components from organic materials. To support this development, the team selected the Smicon SP300, using it to test how organic feedstocks behave when pressed and mechanically processed. The project represents a bold step into new territory, combining academic research with industrial-grade equipment to push the boundaries of what is currently possible. By integrating Smicon’s robust technology, the researchers are gaining new insights that could eventually lead to scalable, real‑world applications for agriculture, biogas production, and circular material use.

ReTec sees significant growth potential in the years ahead. With a new sales office now operational in Finland, planned investments in both Finland, Norway and Iceland, and ongoing testing of new applications, the partnership continues to expand into new markets and opportunities.

https://www.retec-recycling.com/