EU plastics projects unite: “Multiplier effect” to boost circular economy in Europe
10 Oct 2019 --- In a major boost to a more circular economy for plastics, 20 innovation projects have joined forces. Coined the “Plastics Circularity Multiplier,” the group will communicate to policymakers, the public and industry specialists on a range of EU-funded innovations. Such innovations aim to bring plastic materials into the circular economy of the future and create new business opportunities in Europe.
The group consists of a range of projects that receive funding for the EU’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program. More than 300 projects dealing with plastics in a circular economy have been supported by the FP7 and Horizon 2020 programs – part of the EU’s global push to invest in circular economy solutions to achieve the goals of the 2018 EU Plastics Strategy.
“The investment that the EU is making in the circular economy is on such a scale that it’s vital to communicate what that means for the environment, citizens, businesses and cities across the continent,” says Alexandre Dangis of DEMETO, the project leading the group.
“With the initial participation of 19 projects, the Plastics Circularity Multiplier will look to boost our impact, but also identify the regulatory barriers to be overcome and the investment needed if we are to put in place a truly circular economy for plastics in the EU,” adds Dangis.
The first round of results by the Plastics Circularity Multiplier will come in the summer of 2020 – earmarked for a Brussels conference showcasing synergies among the participant projects.
The Horizon 2020 cohort has demonstrated promise, spawning significant advancements in the sustainable packaging space. Also funded by the EU Horizon 2020 scheme, the NanoPack Project has reported significant advancements in the shelf-life and quality extension of a range of foods when packaged in nano-active materials.
Going full circle
The 20 organizations within the newly formed group target a wide variety of issues within the circular economy space.
The group consists of a range of projects that receive funding for the EU’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program. One such group is CIRC-PACK, which aims to transform plastic packaging waste into a resource. The project will develop more sustainable, bio-based and recyclable plastics used for the manufacture of a wide range of products: trays, bottles, coffee capsules, jars, car parts, pallets and new types of multi-layer and multi-material packaging. CIRC-PACK aims to create biodegradable or compostable polyesters as well as smart eco-designs that make sorting easier, with improved recycling technologies that will increase recovery rates and ensure quality.
Another player in the new group is DECOAT. The main goal of the organization is to enable circular use of textiles and plastic parts with (multilayer) “coatings,” which are typically not recyclable yet. These “coatings” comprise functional and performance coatings and paints as well as adhesion layers. Therefore, novel triggerable smart polymer material systems and the corresponding recycling processes will be developed, notes the organization.
Meanwhile, the PUReSmart project, coordinated by the Belgian company Recticel, was launched in January 2019 for a planned duration of four years. PUReSmart targets the recovery of over 90 percent of end-of-life PU products such as flexible and rigid foams with the goal of converting it into valuable inputs for new and known products. The project consortium will develop smart sorting technologies to separate a diverse range of PU materials into dedicated feedstocks. These feedstocks will be broken down into their basic components as inputs for existing PU products, and as raw materials for a newly designed polymer that merges the durability of thermosets with the circularity of thermoplastics.
Industry giants are increasingly working towards less linear models for their packaging. Earlier this week, British-Dutch transnational consumer goods company Unilever pledged to halve its use of virgin plastic by 2025. It aims to reduce its absolute use of plastic packaging by more than 100,000 metric tons, accelerate its use of recycled plastic and scale-up reuse and refill formats. The commitment makes Unilever the first major global consumer goods company to promise an absolute plastics reduction across its portfolio.
By Laxmi Haigh
