Our first 50 years

Past, Present, Future
True growth makes no noise

Trees grow silently and so slowly that they seem still. Yet every day, without making a sound, they strengthen their roots, renew their leaves, and grow upwards.

In the same way, Tecnofer’s authentic growth over these 50 years has taken place out of the spotlight: through continuous innovation, tailor-made solutions, carefully managed processes, proven expertise, and nurturing relationships.

Fifty years later, those roots have become solid foundation.
And they tell a story of people, courageous choices, and industrial vision.

1976
From idea to business

The story of the company has started looking for a solution for reusing the tons of greenhouse film that every year in Sicily were thrown away or burnt to be replaced by new ones.

In the mid-1970’s, Vito Garbellini laid the foundations of Tecnofer company, an innovative, far-sighted and revolutionary business idea, especially for Polesine, a land dedicated to agriculture for centuries.

Side note: Vito Garbellini, at the beginning of his career, when he took care of all the works personally, from the design to the final product.

The first plant

The first complete plant for washing PE FILM was born in 1984.
It was a solution including Tecnofer’s first patented vertical washing and drying centrifuge.

Our
Great River

Calm, slow, vast, and sometimes a little bit intimidating, the Po River is more than a symbol of our territory. It is a companion that has always reminded us how important respect for nature is, in every aspect.

1986
The will to succeed

From the very beginnig, the driving force for Tecnofer is the research. As Vito Garbellini explains: “Without research there is no progress. Without research there is no innovation, which is essential for developing more and more advanced technologies, that allow to meet with the growing and different needs for recycling and recovering plastic materials.”

Side note: In 1985 Tecnofer attended Plast Milan, one of the most important exhibition in the world for plastic material industry.

A technology that moves forward

With solid expertise and a future-oriented vision, the company further develops its solutions for plastic recycling.

The Research & Development team strengthens its strategic role, refining technologies and processes to ensure ever-higher efficiency, reliability, and performance.

Our territory

A simple yet essential landscape, with clean lines and wide horizons: fields that change color with the seasons, poplar groves, grey skies crossed by mist in the colder months. For us, it is home. A space to protect responsibly, to live consciously, and to improve day by day, also thanks to our work.

1996
Always looking beyond

“Never be satisfied. There may always be better solution than the one chosen”, this is Vito Garbellini’s rule.

A true guiding principle that drives research and forces daily engagement with customer needs. This is why it is important to remain curious, open, ready to embrace change, and above all to seize challenges and opportunities to anticipate it.

Side note: Ekoblock100, Tecnofer’s first transportable plant.

Big projects around the world

In the 1990s, Tecnofer played a leading role in projects of global significance, such as the first European plant for recycling agricultural plastics inaugurated in Spain in 1992.

Our colors

The most authentic colors speak without words: they light up in the meadows, tremble on sunlit leaves, vibrate in the surrounding details. This energy inspired our corporate colors: from the warm, subtle greens of the 1970s to the bright, vibrant green that identifies us today, a symbol of growth and vitality.

2006
Growing up remaining what you are

Despite growing international relevance, Tecnofer remained faithful to its identity, choosing a sober and elegant communication style even on major stages like the K fair in Düsseldorf.

Corporate communication balanced the solidity of technical solutions with a vision attentive to the environment: an authentic and concrete awareness, when sustainability was not yet central to the debate as it is today.

Side note: Vito Garbellini at Tecnofer stand at Ecomondo 2006; Tecnofer stand at K fair 2007.

Over the years, Tecnofer has established solid and friendly relationships with its Italian and foreign customers. This is the result coming from a great attention to the several needs but also to the different cultures.

Each customer is welcomed in Tecnofer by hoisting the flag of his own country next to the Italian flag. It is a simple way, but full of respect, to welcome him to our company.

Side note: Plast Milano 2016

Our forest
Green Smile

Our sustainability lives on two levels. On one hand, we design plants that turn waste into new resources, promoting recycling and reuse. On the other hand, we act directly through environmental initiatives such as creating the “Green Smile” forest, capable of absorbing 10 tons of CO₂ per year.

Discover it
2016
A solid present

From design to implementation, every Tecnofer plant is built according to each customer’s specific needs.

The goal is to offer a turnkey, customized solution that ensures quality and reliability at every stage of processing, achieving maximum productivity with minimal energy consumption.

Side note: some Tecnofer plants. The first above is a depackaging plant, the second below is part of a PE FILM washing plant.

Automation

Tecnofer’s quality is not measured only by tailored design, high-performance material selection, precision processing, and customized components. The electronic and automation components play a fundamental role.

At the core of every plant’s software development is a careful analysis of project and customer needs, resulting in tailor-made solutions. Advanced electronics, intelligent automation, and high safety performance levels make Tecnofer technology a strategic investment for customers.

Spaces that connect

Tecnofer’s vision is also reflected in its internal spaces, designed to foster connections and create value. Spaces like the T-Lab, Tecnofer’s laboratory of ideas, created to raise awareness among schools about the environment, circular economy, and resource reuse. Also, spaces for staff training, engagement in company projects, and sharing special moments.

2026
Tecnofer today

Tecnofer occupies an area of 90,000 square meters, of which 30,000 are covered. 66% of Tecnofer area is dedicated to green space, with more than 1,000 trees and plants planted within the company. Highly advanced departments and nature blend into a single ecosystem.

Tecnofer Ecoimpianti
2026
Augmented assistance

Our service is designed to maintain performance and efficiency, ensuring production continuity and maximum stability. Real-time remote assistance, software updates, and support via smart glasses enable rapid, precise, and always-connected interventions, wherever the customer is.

The heart of our support today is smart glasses: an advanced solution allowing our technicians to assist operators on-site in real time, sharing technical drawings, data, and instructions directly in the headset. An immersive, precise, and immediate support that reduces downtime and brings innovation directly in the field.

Next Challenges: 1,700 sqm dedicated to innovation

Pilot plant and Tecnofer Academy: growing together every day.

A new company area will host a multi-material pilot plant, designed as a space for experimentation, learning, and sharing. A real, operational environment where technology, experience, and training meet to continue innovating and turning know-how into value, anticipating market needs. It is a highly challenging and strategic project for Tecnofer.

Towards the future

We live in an age where everything moves fast, and appearance is often celebrated more than substance. Yet in this era, we continue to prioritize substance and constancy over appearances.

A steady and silent work bears fruit. Not great announcements, but simple commitment and dedication. Results do not happen by chance; they are the natural consequence of healthy and patient growth.

This is why our slogan is “Inspired by Nature.” Nature has taught us the value of continuity, solidity, and steady, lasting growth. It has inspired our strategic vision for the future, based on continuous innovation and providing the market with cutting-edge technologies for environmental protection.