Tomra
Norwegian provider of collection, sensor-based sorting, and circular-economy technology.
Last updated August 21, 2026
AI crawler reads
5requests
1companies- Anthropic5
- Profile
- 2
- Controversies
- 3
- JSON · MD
- 0
- First read
- Nov 4, 2026
- Latest read
- Nov 4, 2026
From this site's server log
Overview
Tomra is a Norwegian multinational technology company focused on collecting, sorting, and processing materials for more efficient use of resources. Its roots are in reverse vending machines, which automate the return of used beverage containers for deposit-refund and recycling systems. The company was founded in 1972 by brothers Tore Planke and Petter Planke after developing equipment intended to make the collection of empty bottles more efficient. An early commercial milestone came in 1974, when Swedish retailer Systembolaget ordered 100 reverse vending machines. Tomra expanded from container collection into sensor-based identification and sorting. Its sorting activities cover recycling, food processing, and mining, using technologies such as optical recognition, cameras, near-infrared sensing, electromagnetic systems, and related automation. In recycling, its equipment can separate materials including plastics, metals, paper, glass, and other recoverable fractions. In food, sorting and grading systems are used to inspect produce and other food products by characteristics such as color, size, shape, defects, and internal quality. In mining, sorting systems are intended to improve ore pre-concentration and reduce the movement and processing of material with limited economic value. The company’s growth has combined internal development with acquisitions. The purchase of TiTech Visionsort in 2004 established a major foundation for Tomra’s sensor-based sorting business; that activity was later known as Tomra Sorting Solutions. Acquisitions including CommoDaS, Ultrasort, Odenberg, Best Kwadraat, Compac, and BBC Technologies broadened the company’s capabilities in material recognition, mining, food sorting, produce packing, and precision grading. Tomra also added compaction and baling equipment through its 2005 acquisition of Orwak, although several Orwak-related operations were later divested. Tomra is organized around three principal technology areas: Collection, Recycling, and Food. Collection includes reverse vending systems and associated digital, logistics, and service capabilities. Recycling provides automated sorting systems for material recovery facilities, plastic recycling, metal recovery, waste treatment, and other applications. Food supplies sorting, grading, packing, and quality-control systems for fresh produce and processed food. The company markets these activities as infrastructure for resource productivity and the transition toward a circular economy. Tomra has installed a large global base of reverse vending, food-sorting, and recycling systems. Its customer base includes beverage-container deposit operators, retailers, waste-management companies, recycling facilities, food processors, pack houses, and mining companies. The business is international, with central departments in Asker, Norway, and additional central functions in Mülheim-Kärlich, Germany, and Shelton, Connecticut, United States. Tomra Systems ASA has been listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange since 1985 under the symbol TOM. Its long-term positioning combines industrial automation with sustainability, emphasizing higher recovery rates, improved product quality, lower waste, and more efficient use of raw materials.
History
Tomra began in Norway in 1972, when brothers Tore Planke and Petter Planke developed machinery for the automated collection of used beverage containers. The initial business addressed a practical problem in deposit-return systems: retailers and collection points needed a faster and more reliable way to receive, identify, and store empty bottles and cans. In 1974, Systembolaget in Sweden ordered 100 machines, giving the young company an important early reference customer and helping establish reverse vending as Tomra’s core technology category. During the 1980s, Tomra developed its commercial and international organization and was listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange on 18 January 1985. Its first efforts to establish itself in the United States were not immediately successful, but the company entered the American market more effectively during the 1990s. By 1999, sales in the United States represented more than half of Tomra’s total revenue, demonstrating the importance of international expansion to the company’s development. Tomra also supplied large volumes of reverse vending systems to European markets; in 2006 it delivered more than 8,000 new systems to Germany. A decisive strategic shift occurred in 2004 with the acquisition of TiTech Visionsort AS from Ferd AS. TiTech supplied optical recognition and sorting technology, giving Tomra a platform beyond beverage-container collection. The business was later renamed Tomra Sorting Solutions in 2012. The acquisition enabled Tomra to apply sensing, image analysis, and automated separation to recycling, food, and mining, and it became a foundation for the company’s broader technology portfolio. Tomra expanded further through acquisitions and divestments. The 2005 acquisition of Orwak added compaction and baling equipment. In 2006, TiTech acquired German company CommoDaS, which provided recognition and sorting systems for metals, plastics, glass, minerals, and gemstones. In 2008, Tomra acquired Australia’s Ultrasort Group, strengthening its advanced recognition and mining-sorting capabilities. Tomra also operated collection and recycling activities in South America through TOMRA Latasa Reciclagem, whose assets were acquired by Aleris International in 2005, and sold the assets of Tomra Pacific in California to rePlanet in 2011. Food technology became another important growth area. In 2010, TiTech acquired Dublin-based Odenberg, a food-technology company associated with sorting and processing equipment used in potato and other food production. Odenberg’s chilling and freezing unit was later treated as non-core and sold in 2013. In 2012, Tomra acquired Belgian food-sorting specialist Best Kwadraat. The company subsequently broadened its fresh-produce offering through the acquisition of New Zealand-based Compac, completed in 2017, and the acquisition of BBC Technologies, announced in 2018. These transactions added produce inspection, grading, packing-house automation, and small-fruit handling capabilities. Tomra’s portfolio is now generally presented through Collection, Recycling, and Food activities. Collection centers on reverse vending machines and the systems and services surrounding deposit-return programs. Recycling uses sensor-based equipment to identify and separate materials in waste and recovery streams. Food supplies sorting, grading, quality inspection, and packing technologies for growers, pack houses, and food processors. Mining applications use sensor sorting to assist with ore recovery and pre-concentration. The company has become an international supplier of resource-management infrastructure, with a large installed base across its three principal markets. Tomra’s business model combines equipment sales with software, service, maintenance, data, and operational support. Its public identity is closely associated with recycling and circularity, although its technologies also serve food production and mineral processing. Tomra remains headquartered in Asker, Norway, with important central functions in Germany and the United States, and its parent, Tomra Systems ASA, remains listed in Oslo.
- 2025
Agreement to acquire CLYNK
[1]Tomra agrees to acquire CLYNK, expanding its exposure to bagged beverage-container redemption services in the United States.
- 2018
BBC Technologies agreement
[1]Tomra agrees to acquire BBC Technologies, adding precision grading and punnet and clamshell filling systems for berries and other small fruit.
- 2017
Compac transaction completed
[1]Tomra completes its acquisition of New Zealand-based Compac, adding fresh-produce inspection and packing-house automation.
- 2012
Best Kwadraat acquisition
[1]Tomra purchases Belgian food-sorting specialist Best Kwadraat.
- 2010
Odenberg acquisition
[1]Tomra acquires food-technology company Odenberg and expands into food sorting and processing equipment.
- 2008
Ultrasort acquisition
[1]Tomra acquires Australian sorting-technology provider Ultrasort Group, strengthening its mining and advanced-recognition activities.
- 2006
CommoDaS acquisition
[1]TiTech acquires CommoDaS, extending Tomra’s recognition and sorting capabilities across metals, plastics, glass, minerals, and gemstones.
- 2005
Orwak acquisition
[1]Tomra acquires Orwak and adds compaction and baling products to its portfolio.
- 2004
Entry into sensor-based sorting
[1]Tomra acquires TiTech Visionsort AS, creating the foundation for its recycling, food, and mining sorting businesses.
- 1985
Stock-market listing
[1]Tomra Systems ASA is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange on 18 January.
Products and positioning
A global leader in sensor-based collection and sorting technology, positioned around resource efficiency, recycling infrastructure, food quality, and circular-economy outcomes.
Collection · 1972
Reverse vending machines
Tomra’s reverse vending machines accept used beverage containers and automate identification, sorting, counting, and collection for deposit-return systems. They are deployed in retail stores, dedicated return points, and other collection environments. The machines are supported by software, logistics, service, and reporting functions that help retailers and scheme operators manage container returns and material flows.
Collection
TOMRA R1
TOMRA R1 is a reverse vending offering designed for high-throughput return of beverage containers. It allows users to place multiple containers into a collection opening rather than feeding them one by one, with automated recognition and handling intended to improve convenience and store productivity. Availability and configuration depend on local deposit-return requirements and market deployment.
Recycling
TOMRA AUTOSORT
TOMRA AUTOSORT is a family of automated sorting systems for waste and recycling streams. The equipment uses sensor technologies and software to identify target materials and separate them at industrial throughput. Applications include packaging, plastics, paper, metals, and mixed municipal or commercial waste, with configurations varying according to the material stream and desired recovery or purity result.
Food · 2010
Food sorting and grading systems
Tomra’s food portfolio includes sorting, grading, inspection, and handling systems for fresh produce and processed food. These technologies can evaluate products by dimensions such as size, shape, color, surface condition, and internal quality. The systems are intended to improve consistency, reduce unwanted product, automate quality control, and support packing operations.
Mining · 2004
Mining sorting systems
Tomra supplies sensor-based sorting equipment for mining and mineral-processing applications. By recognizing differences between valuable material and waste, the systems can support pre-concentration, improve feed quality, and reduce the amount of material sent to downstream processing. The technology portfolio developed through TiTech, CommoDaS, and Ultrasort contributed to this business area.
Food · 2017
Compac fresh-produce automation
Compac systems provide packing-house automation for fresh produce. They sort and manage produce using attributes including weight, size, shape, color, surface blemishes, and internal quality, and connect inspection with downstream packing workflows. Tomra added this capability through its acquisition of Compac, completed in 2017.
Controversies
2012
Final appeal is unsuccessful
Tomra’s further appeal concerning the European competition-law case was rejected in April 2012, leaving the Commission decision and associated fine in place.
2010
General Court upholds competition decision and fine
The European General Court dismissed Tomra’s appeal against the Commission’s decision and fine. Tomra recorded an accrual of €28.2 million, equivalent to NOK 226.1 million, including accumulated interest, in its third-quarter 2010 financial statement.
2006
European Commission reverse-vending competition case
The European Commission concluded that Tomra had foreclosed competition in reverse vending machines in Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden during 1998–2002 through an exclusionary strategy. The matter followed an investigation initiated in 2001.
Brand decisions
2025
Agree to acquire CLYNKM&ABackground
Tomra sought to expand its beverage-container redemption capabilities in the United States.
Action taken
It agreed to acquire CLYNK, a Portland, Maine-based bagged can redemption operator.
Reported acquisition price. $45 million (September 2025)
2016
Agree to acquire CompacM&ABackground
Tomra aimed to strengthen automation and quality inspection in fresh-produce packing houses.
Action taken
It signed an agreement to acquire New Zealand-based Compac, with consideration including an upfront amount and potential earn-outs.
Aftermath
The transaction was completed in March 2017 and added produce sorting, grading, and packing automation.
Reported upfront consideration. $70 million plus potential earn-outs of up to $230 million (2016 agreement; completed 2017)
2010
Acquire OdenbergM&ABackground
Tomra wanted to broaden its sorting expertise into food technology and processing.
Action taken
Its subsidiary TiTech acquired Dublin-based Odenberg, a designer of food-processing and sorting equipment.
Aftermath
The acquisition expanded Tomra’s food portfolio, while Odenberg’s chilling and freezing unit was later sold as non-core.
Maximum reported acquisition consideration. €57.5 million (2010)
2004
Acquire TiTech VisionsortM&ABackground
Tomra sought to move beyond reverse vending and build a technology position in automated recognition and sorting.
Action taken
It acquired TiTech Visionsort AS from Ferd AS for NOK 219 million and developed the business into a core sorting platform.
Aftermath
The activity later became known as Tomra Sorting Solutions and supported expansion into recycling, food, and mining.
Acquisition consideration. NOK 219 million (2004)
Recent events
Reported
TOMRA announces Tove Andersen as incoming CEO[3]
TOMRA Systems ASA announced that Tove Andersen would become its president and CEO, replacing Stefan Ranstrand, and take up the role no later than November 1, 2021.
Reported
Compac launches TOMRA 5S Advanced sorting platform[4]
Compac launched the TOMRA 5S Advanced, a new fruit-sorting platform developed from its Multi Lane Sorter.
Reported
TOMRA appoints Michel Picandet to lead TOMRA Food[5]
TOMRA Group appointed Michel Picandet as executive vice president and head of TOMRA Food, effective January 1, 2020. In the role, he is responsible for the TOMRA Food business, including TOMRA Food, Compac and BBC Technologies.
Sources5 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/tomra · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled