FIRST PROJECT RESULTS ARE ALREDY AVAILABLE!!!

Exciting news! We are thrilled to announce that the first Precycling project results are already available! These initial findings mark an important milestone in our journey towards sustainable plastic waste management. We invite you to dive into the wealth of valuable insights and discoveries that have emerged from our dedicated efforts.

Work Package 1: Waste streams mapping, methods for verifying recycled plastic content, requirements

Work Package (WP) 1 efforts are led by the Technological Institute for Children’s Products and Leisure (AIJU).

The 2018 European Strategy for Plastics in a Circular Economy, through the Green Deal & the Circular Economy Action Plan 2.0, addresses the need for new methods to reliably calculate, verify and report the recycled content in products, boosting the increase of recycled content in everyday products against the use of virgin materials.

A short description of WP1: To set the starting point, it is compulsory to screen and assess the recyclate definition as well as the best practices used up to now for calculating, verifying, and reporting recycled plastic content in products.

But a question remains unanswered: o those recyclates actually fit the materials requirements, properties and benchmarking?

What has been done so far? The development of technical characteristics for using recyclates to guarantee the compliance of the final products has been done for the targeted applications such as electrical and electronics, and household, leisure and sports.

For this purpose, within WP 1, the partners developed an initial inventory, quantification, registration, and identification of the current plastic stream incoming from several EU countries, as well as their treatment, and the methodology applied for their utilisation at the current stage.

Against this background, within WP 1, the partners developed the following:

• An initial inventory, quantification, registration, and identification of the plastic waste streams incoming from different EU countries and targeted applications;

• Their treatment and the methodology applied to use the waste at the current state;

• Analysis and verification of their composition.

   

This work has been carried out to ensure the availability of enough volumes of recyclates per type of plastic to be safely used according to their composition.

Therefore, recyclates must meet specific technical characteristics to be employed in domestic appliances, sport toys and textile applications, in order to meet the compliance of the final products when developing the homogeneous recycled formulations in the next stages of the project.

What are the next steps? A broadly accepted definition of recyclates will be proposed in order to achieve a unified and clear definition at the pan-European level.

When can we expect the first results? Partners are now focusing on the Review of methods and best practices used in the industry and in the EU Member States for calculating, verifying and reporting recycled plastic content in products. By the end of this year, this objective will be achieved. Additionally, the work on the Proposal of an EU broadly accepted definition of recyclate is at a good stage and the related Handbook will be delivered at the end of the project.

WP1 PRecycling, the verification or recycled plastic contents for being used as recyclates in the targeted applications. 

Work Package 2: Recovering and converting recyclable materials into recyclates

The National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) is leading the effort on the WP 2.

A short description of the work package: WP2 focuses on recovering and converting recyclable materials from targeted value chains such as Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), toys and textiles into recyclates. Within WP2 the suitable techniques are being tested and selected to sort out mixed composite plastic wastes in single output categories. Polymer waste streams from WEEE, toys, and textiles rich in PP, HIPS, PA, ABS, and PET are analysed following a well-defined sampling methodology, and their composition is determined through the combination of different chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques. Legacy additives, impurities, contaminants, and hazardous substances are removed using two main methodologies, the CreaSolv® process, as well as the Supercritical CO2 (sc-CO2) process. Software-assisted simulation is investigated for the optimisation and upscaling of the purification processes. To deliver recyclates of consistent quality and guarantee their safety, their thermomechanical degradation mechanism is being assessed and the possible routes for re-stabilisation and upcycling via additive incorporation during mechanical recycling process are explored.

What has been done so far? Toys and textiles plastic waste streams (PWSs) from Spain and WEEE-PWSs from the Netherlands and Turkey have been collected, pre-treated, and sorted, leading to a preliminary identification and analysis of the PWS. Several approaches for the optimum homogenisation of the PWS, combining extrusion and cryogenic milling, to verify the best sampling methodology for analysis and characterisation are currently under investigation studying an ABS-rich model waste. Sensor-based technologies for material identification are also under development. Furthermore, CreaSolv® Process and sc-CO2 process are being tested on WEEE, textiles and toys PWS and the increase of the extraction yield of contaminants is being explored. A basic simulation of the CreaSolv process using the Aspen Hysys software has been developed considering a PP-rich fridge waste as a model waste. The simulation determines the solvents and energy requirements, which are crucial for the feasibility of the process. The assessment of the thermomechanical degradation mechanism and the possible routes for re-stabilisation and upcycling of PP or HIPS-rich PWS has been initiated and the materials are exposed to multiple extrusion cycles under severe temperature and shear conditions.

Did you experience any difficulties and/or deviations? The challenge that occurred was the selection of the best homogenisation and sampling approach that is being overcome by the development of ‘model’ waste that will lead to a decision on the best route to follow for sampling and sample preparation for PWS and recyclate analysis.

What are the next steps? The collection and pre-treatment of toys for recycling from Greece and PA-rich WEEE PWS from Turkey.

The final definition of the homogenisation and sampling methodology for physicochemical analysis, concluding on the study of different approaches on an ABS-rich model waste.

An application of the selected homogenisation and sampling approach on the real sorted PWSs for verification of physicochemical analytics.

Sensor-based technologies optimisation for polymers’ and additives’ identification. Selection and optimisation of the CreaSolv® Process for the different PWSs to minimise material degradation.

A continuation of sc-CO2 trials on homogenised samples and improving compacting and compounding methodology of textiles.

A continuation of the assessment of the thermomechanical degradation mechanism of different PWSs in view of material re-stabilisation and upcycling.

A tuning of assumptions and validation of the results from the simulation of CreaSolv® Process and software-assisted simulation of the sc-CO2 process development.

When can we expect the first results? The first deliverable report covering the waste fraction identification and quantification of the sorted PWS has been completed and submitted on M12. Furthermore, the first technical milestone where the analytical technologies for a given waste stream including methodologies and protocols developed by the partners has also been achieved. A full report on the composition and properties of the selected waste streams identified by several characterization methods to establish a proper sampling and analysis methodology of waste materials before recycling will be completed in September 2023.

Kick Off meeting on April 28th, 2022 in Athens, Greece

The 17 partners of the PRecycling project met in person for the kick-off meeting, hosted by the coordinator the National Technical University of Athens, on 28 April 2022. Read more here.

20th European Conference on Composite Materials (ECCM20) on June 26-30, 2022 in Lausanne, Switzerland

The PRecycling project was introduced by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) to the participants of the conference through presentations and a poster to the participants. 

European Researchers’ Night on September 30th, 2022 at the National Technical University of Athens

At the European Researchers’ Night the Precycling Project was presented by NTUAREN. At a stand a team shared flyers and the latest news to science and research with the visitors. Read more here.

12th month meeting March 15th & 16th, 2023 in Freising, Germany

The consortium met at the premises of the partner IVV Fraunhofer to discuss the project’s developments and results achieved in the first year. Read more here.

The PRecycling project collaborates with the PRIMUS Project with the objective of maximising the impact, leveraging synergies, and promoting collaboration among participants.

As both projects have complementary objectives and are conducting research in the same scientific area, we are sure that this cross-fertilization of ideas and technologies will make a difference in our industry. Read more here.

Stay tuned as we continue to unveil further progress and advancements in our mission to create a circular economy for plastics.

Do not hesitate to write us and explore together potential opportunities: charitidis@chemeng.ntua.gr