Find bellow some of the research being undertaken as part of the European Union’s support for an application of the principles of the circular economy to plastics.

 

CIRC-PACK

Towards circular economy in the plastic packaging value chain

Direct link : www.circpack.eu
CIRC-PACK project aims at more sustainable, efficient, competitive, less fossil fuel dependence, integrated and interconnected plastic packaging value chain. The CIRC-PACK project will provide breakthrough biodegradable plastics using alternative bio-based raw materials, which will have an instrumental role to play along the plastic value chain. In addition, smart eco-design measures will be developed and adapted also to the new bio-based materials previously developed, to facilitate the collection and recycling of multilayer and multi-material packaging.

 

iCAREPLAST

Integrated Catalytic Recycling of Plastic Residues Into Added-Value Chemicals

Direct link : https://www.icareplast.eu/

iCAREPLAST aims to demonstrate (TRL-7) the whole technology for plastic waste valorisation in a pilot plant able to process >100 kg/h of plastic. The iCAREPLAST solution will enforce circular economy by substantially increasing the amount of recycled plastics to produce commodity products that can be used for virgin-quality polymers production or as raw materials for other processes in petrochemicals, fine chemicals, automotive industries, etc.

 

MultiCycle

Advanced and sustainable recycling processes and value chains for plastic-based multi-materials

MultiCycle will deliver an industrial recycling pilot plant for thermoplastic-based multi-materials, based on the CreaSolv process patented by the partner Fraunhofer, which will be upscaled and digitased with an overarching mission to maximise the valorisation of our finite plastic resources.

 

PlastiCircle

Direct link : www.plasticircle.eu

PlastiCircle’s efforts will focus on one particularly important component of this plastic waste, namely plastic packaging waste. PlastiCircle ultimately aims to transform waste into valuable products. The consortium will reinvent the plastic packaging treatment process to obtain higher recycling rates, better quality and cheaper secondary raw materials, as well as better recovery and valorisation within the same value chain.

 

PolyCE

Post-Consumer High-tech Recycled Polymers for a Circular Economy

Direct link: www.polyce-project.eu
While substantially reducing the WEEE plastics generation and enhancing the use of recycled plastics in new applications, PolyCE will demonstrate the feasibility of circular plastics supply and value chain. In particular, PolyCE will elaborate harmonized set of technical requirements addressing the entire value chain and develop grade system for recycled plastics according to their material properties and final application suitability.

 

PolynSPIRE

Demonstration of Innovative Technologies towards a more Efficient and Sustainable Plastic Recycling

PolynSPIRE main objective is to demonstrate a set of innovative, cost-effective and sustainable solutions in order to improve the energy and resource efficiency of plastic recycling processes for materials containing at least 80% plastic.

 

ResolVe

Direct link : https://depolymerisation.com/

ResolVe is a research and development project to explore the commercial use of post-consumer polystyrene waste as a raw material to produce high-quality plastics. The project addresses the technical feasibility and the conceptual layout of an entire recycling concept including contribution by recycling companies. One method for chemical recycling of plastic waste is thermally induced depolymerisation.

 

For the period 2018-2020 (the remaining years of Horizon 2020) the EU’s research and innovation framework programme, about €100 million has been allocated to projects directly related to the plastics strategy.