Key Highlights:
- The Institute for Plastics Processing (IKV) in Industry and Craft at RWTH Aachen University (IKV) has initiated the industrial research project "LOOPCYCLING."
- The project involves the entire plastics recycling value chain in order to push the boundaries of mechanical recycling and achieve the best possible recyclate qualities using established industrial processes.
- LOOPCYCLING considers the entire process chain of mechanical recycling as well as the characterisation of recyclates, reprocessing and reuse.
IKV/Fröls
The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) adopted by the EU Parliament in April 2024 sets, among other things, ambitious minimum targets for the percentage of recyclate in new plastic packaging, raising new challenges for industrial recycling technologies.
In order to meet the requirements, a significant increase of the percentage of recyclate in contact-sensitive applications like food and cosmetics packaging is mandatory. Chemical recycling processes provide recyclates that meet the quality requirements of such applications. However, the available capacities are far from sufficient to meet the demand. On the other hand, mechanical recycling, as the most energy and material-efficient plastics recycling process, can provide corresponding quantities, but not in the required recyclate quality. Intensive research into both recycling routes will therefore be crucial for the industry.
The Institute for Plastics Processing (IKV) in Industry and Craft at RWTH Aachen University has therefore initiated the industrial research project “LOOPCYCLING - Advanced mechanical recycling of flexible polyethylenes”. The aim is to push the boundaries of mechanical recycling significantly and to achieve the best possible recyclate qualities by consistently combining the best industrial recycling technologies. Based on existing industrial process technologies, the processes will initially be optimised using common polyolefin sorting fractions (DSD310) from the household collection of packaging waste. A transfer to well-designed mono-materials including upscaling is conducted in parallel. The results will be used to derive future design-for-recycling standards.
LOOPCYCLING considers the entire process chain of mechanical recycling: sorting, shredding, washing, de-inking, compounding with stabilisers, decontamination and odour removal as well as the characterisation of recyclates, reprocessing and reuse. Industrial technology providers within the consortium representing each process step ensure that the systems and technologies involved are operational on an industrial scale today. IKV is coordinating the project, carrying out compounding trials and reprocessing tests in its pilot plants and laboratories and contributing its expertise in recyclate characterisation.
LOOPCYCLING is designed entirely as an industrial project without public funding, allowing the project to start soon. However, it builds on IKV's findings from previous projects, some of which were publicly funded. The project is scheduled to run for two years and will start in January 2025.
The consortium currently includes technology suppliers such as manufacturers of sorting systems, providers of de-inking technologies, manufacturers of recycling systems, materials and additives and providers of decontamination technologies. Interested recyclers, recyclate processors, packaging manufacturers, brand owners and retailers are invited to a separate kick-off event on 10 September 2024 at IKV in Aachen.