On Thursday, November 4, 2021 you are most welcome to join the webinar about TRANSFORM-CE in English. The project team will then tell you what it is looking for and provide examples of business support opportunities. You can register for the webinar via (add link). After registration you will receive the login details for the webinar.
Location: online (link will follow shortly, after registering by Eventbrite)
Time: 15.00 – 16.30 CET
Opportunity for your business?
Interreg NW Europe funded project, TRANSFORM-CE, launches the first in its informative webinar series on turning single-use plastic waste into valuable new products. It will introduce two innovative technologies, additive manufacturing and intrusion-extrusion moulding, which are facilitating the transformation of this common waste stream into the feedstock for countless applications, from roof tiles and decking to architectural models and 3D printed components. This is a fantastic opportunity for businesses, manufacturers and government authorities interested in learning more about TRANSFORM-CE and the potential benefits of transitioning to a circular economy business model. The project partners also welcome designers, creatives and members of the public who are interested in exploring the potential of single use plastic waste.
Europe’s plastics strategy is striving to transform the way plastic products are designed, produced, used and recycled. Plastics may be an important material in our economy and daily lives, but they have serious negative effects on the environment and human health. This is the driver behind Europe’s desire to transition towards a circular economy that reuses single-use plastic waste. To this end, TRANSFORM-CE is organising a series of webinars in 2021 and 2022.
New technologies for a circular economy of plastic?
TRANSFORM-CE is currently running two pilots to turn single-use plastic waste into raw plastic feedstock: an AM R&D centre in Greater Manchester (United Kingdom) and an IEM plastic factory in Almere (The Netherlands). A third AM facility, a prototyping centre, will open early 2022 in Belgium. Work has already begun, using the feedstock to manufacture products like outdoor furniture, building materials and even houses. Once the technology is scaled up, TRANSFORM-CE’s partners will have the potential to develop circular economy business models and stimulate new secondary material markets across North West Europe and beyond. Waste plastic can be re-purposed and revalued.
Europe manufactures millions of plastic products every year, but only uses a tiny proportion of recycled plastic to do so, while the demand for plastic feedstock is rising. Even more surprising is that half the plastic waste collected for recycling is exported outside Europe for processing. Apart from the benefits to the environment and human health, reusing plastic waste would bring economic benefits to businesses, municipalities and many other stakeholders. The TRANSFORM-CE project, funded by Interreg NW Europe, is bringing 10 organisations in four countries from across North West Europe together to bring about change.
How can we facilitate businesses, manufacturers and government authorities?
The development of a circular economy and the strengthening of the market for recyclates in North West Europe will help businesses be independent of needing to import primary resources. It gives value to disposable plastics; stimulates demand for recycled products; creates a new circular economy; and reduces the large environmental and health impacts throughout the plastics production chain. Everyone benefits.
The event will be held online, is free of charge and is open to everyone. Registration is now open, and further details will follow shortly.
Who will speak?
- Rhiannon Hunt: Circular Economy Project Manager at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK.
- Bram Peters: Owner of the Green Plastic Factory Almere and Save Plastics, the Netherlands.
- Malou van der Vegt: Researcher and Lecturer in the Circular Economy at the Utrecht University of Applied Sciences, the Netherlands.
- Evert-Jan Velzing: Scientist and Lecturer at the Utrecht University of Applied Sciences, the Netherlands.
What will be the preliminary programme?
14:00 Opening address and introduction to TRANSFORM-CE
14:05 Transforming single-use plastic waste into filament for additive manufacturing
14:15 Creating new products from single-use plastic waste using intrusion-extrusion moulding
14:25 The business case for adopting circular economy solutions
14:45 Be a part of TRANSFORM-CE; opportunities for businesses
15:00 Q&A
Contact Information
Manchester Metropolitan University
Lead partner Circulareconomy_MMU@mmu.ac.uk
Project partners:
The TRANSFORM-CE partnership includes 10 organisations from 4 different countries in North West Europe. The partners are:
- Manchester Metropolitan University
- Materia Nova
- SOENECS Ltd.
- Municipality of Almere
- Save Plastics
- Technische Universiteit Delft
- Hogeschool Utrecht
- IfaS (Institut für angewandtes Stoffstrommangement)
- bCircular GmbH
- Viridor Waste Management Ltd
