Plastic waste and its adverse effects on the environment are increasingly gaining attention in politics, economics, science and the media. As a widely used material, millions of plastic products are manufactured each year, however, only 30% of the plastic waste generated is collected for recycling. Since the demand for plastic is expected to increase the coming years, resulting in finite resources becoming further depleted, it is necessary to utilise plastic waste in a more resourceful way.
TRANSFORM-CE aims to convert all types of single-use-plastic waste into valuable new products, diverting an estimated 1000 tonnes of plastic over the course of the project. Small and medium scale pilot plants will be set up in Almere (NL), with a demonstration centre established in Greater Manchester (UK). These will make use of two innovative technologies - intrusion extrusion moulding (IEM) and additive manufacturing (AM) - to turn plastic waste into recycled feedstocks and new products.
Moreover, TRANSFORM-CE will support business uptake of the IEM and AM technologies, recycled plastic feedstocks, and new products, services and business models. This will be complemented by research on the present and future supply of plastic waste, the performance of recycled plastic feedstocks and resulting products, the suitability of IEM and AM technologies, as well as circular business models and the barriers and enablers for circularity. In-depth innovation support will also be provided to a range of businesses in North-West Europe, to facilitate implementation. The important findings of this research will be collated in an EU Plastic Circular Economy Roadmap, providing businesses and stakeholders with the information and resources necessary to replicate and upscale the recycling of single use plastic waste throughout the region.