Alfa Laval launches ThinkCircularity take-back program to advance circular plastic solutions

SWEDEN – Alfa Laval has launched ThinkCircularity, a new take-back and recycling program aimed at closing the loop on materials used in its ThinkTop valve control units, marking a concrete step in the company’s broader circular economy strategy.

The initiative, which is being piloted in selected European markets, enables customers to return end-of-life ThinkTop units so their materials can be reused, recycled, or responsibly disposed of.

According to Alfa Laval, the program has been well received by customers and partners, with the first returned products already processed for recycling.

“Circular thinking is not just a buzzword for us – it is a responsibility,” said Inger Bygum, Head of Sustainability at Alfa Laval Hygienic Fluid Handling and Heat Transfer Technologies.

“With ThinkCircularity, we ensure that materials from old ThinkTops can be reused, recycled or disposed of in the most responsible and value-creating manner.”

The pilot initially focuses on plastics, a key material in the ThinkTop range. Each unit contains around 500 grams of plastic, and Alfa Laval said testing has confirmed that this material can be recycled and used in new products without compromising performance.

The company reported that blends of recycled and virgin plastic meet all relevant technical requirements, including tensile strength, durability, and reliability in demanding hygienic applications.

Beyond plastics, Alfa Laval is also recovering and recycling other components from returned ThinkTops, including valuable metals and electronic parts, further improving material efficiency and reducing waste.

The program aligns closely with sustainability priorities in the food, dairy, and pharmaceutical industries, where manufacturers are under increasing pressure to optimize processes, reduce resource consumption, and improve lifecycle management of equipment.

Alfa Laval noted that upgrading older ThinkTop control units can deliver up to 90% savings in water and energy used for cleaning-in-place (CIP), accelerating both operational efficiency and environmental benefits.

In Norway, Skala Components, Alfa Laval’s Master Distributor serving hygienic industries, has already introduced the ThinkCircularity scheme to customers.

“Upgrades mean older units are scrapped, but now we can offer a truly circular solution where old ThinkTops give life to the next generation,” said Owe Barsten, Responsible Manager at Skala Components, adding that several hundred units have already been returned.

Alfa Laval described ThinkCircularity as the first step in a wider circularity roadmap that prioritizes durable product design, long service life, and high operational efficiency.

By adding an end-of-life solution, the company aims to integrate circularity across the full product lifecycle.

The launch follows similar moves across the industrial and packaging value chain, where equipment suppliers are increasingly introducing take-back schemes, recycled-content components, and service-based business models to support customers’ sustainability goals.

As regulatory pressure and customer expectations around circularity intensify in Europe, Alfa Laval said insights from the ThinkCircularity pilot will inform future business models, partnerships, and scaling strategies for reuse and recycling initiatives.

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