Pan-European project creates innovative carpet waste recycling plant pilot for high grade polypropylene output

A consortium of internationally-based companies and organisations has secured European funding for the ISOPREP project, which aims to recycle the PP element found in synthetic carpet waste into a much higher quality PP output, that can subsequently be used in the manufacture of premium PP-based products.

The ten partners in the multi-disciplinary consortium are located in Turkey, Germany, Austria, Portugal, and the UK, and the overall project is being coordinated by TWI.

 The ISOPREP project aims to exploit a patented ionic solvent, originally developed under the HiPerPol project, to selectively solubilise the PP element of waste carpet.

When applied to waste carpet, the solvent breaks it down, removing any dyes, colours, and impurities from the material in the process, and outputs virgin quality PP which can be freshly manufactured into high-quality, end-user products.

Consequently, this has huge potential for recycling as synthetic carpet can constitute as much as 100 per cent PP.

Geraldine Durand, Director of the Advanced Resins and Coatings Innovation Centre, said: “The combination of the patented solvent applications, the new PP dissolving method and the first-of-its-kind carpet feedstock recycling plant will offer a number of environmental positives including a reduction in CO2 emissions, and the quantity of fossil fuel used in the manufacture of new PP products, as well as a decrease in the amount of PP going to landfill.”

“In summary, this cost-effective and environmentally friendly method of recycling PP has clear benefits that should make it attractive to industry.”