Reforming secondary plastics to become the primary raw material choice for added-value products

Project Information

PRIMUS

Grant agreement ID: 101057067

DOI

10.3030/101057067

Project closed

EC signature date 13 May 2022

Start date 1 May 2022

End date 30 April 2025

Funded under

• Digital, Industry and Space

Total cost

€ 6 932 725,00

EU contribution

€ 6 932 723,00

Coordinated by

TEKNOLOGIAN TUTKIMUSKESKUS VTT OY
Finland

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - PRIMUS (Reforming secondary plastics to become the primary raw material choice for added-value products)

Reporting period: 2023-11-01 to 2025-04-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Plastic consumption is increasing, especially in technical applications like automotive and consumer goods. In Europe, 25.8 million tonnes of plastic waste are generated annually, yet less than 30% is recycled, leading to significant material loss. The industry faces challenges in using recycled plastics in high-value applications, including safety concerns over hazardous substances and inconsistent quality.
PRIMUS strengthened the EU plastic value chain by improving waste plastic supply, quality control, and recycling efficiency. It developed strategies to enhance recycled material quality and validated their suitability for demanding applications like food contact and automotive standards. PRIMUS also tackled legislative barriers, especially the safe removal of hazardous flame retardants.
Through stakeholder engagement and digital transparency tools, PRIMUS fostered circularity and sustainability, demonstrating innovations in four pilot cases that turned non-recycled or underutilized plastic waste into high-quality products. These efforts supported investment in European manufacturing and encouraged society to embrace recycled-content products.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The project made significant strides in advancing recycled plastics in the EU. A legislative review was done, stakeholder engagement were , and efforts to establish the PRE1000 method as an EN-standard enhanced industry practices. Chemical analyses validated the methodology's accuracy.
Robust sampling methods were developed, ensuring reliable bromine level measurements in recycled plastics using extrusion homogenization and XRF analysis. Over 60 samples were characterized, leading to a standardized protocol for plastic waste assessment. Hyperspectral imaging showed promise for evaluating polymer degradation.
Three debromination methods—supercritical CO2 extraction, deep eutectic and ionic solvent extraction, and catalytic debromination—achieved up to 95% efficiency and were scaled for future application.
Four PRIMUS demonstration cases showcased recycled plastics in technical applications, reaching up to 85% recycled content in various materials. The project also developed traceability systems, including blockchain-based tracking, and expanded sustainability assessment tools through System Dynamics modeling and ecoinvent database adaptations.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

PRIMUS has advanced debromination technologies for WEEE waste, strengthening Europe's role in circular plastics. Scalable methods using aqueous media (TRL 6) and supercritical CO2 extraction (TRL 4) were demonstrated, alongside catalytic debromination for safer recycling and waste treatment.
The project repurposed underutilized plastic waste (r-PC, r-ABS, r-EPDM, r-HIPS) for technical applications like automotive interiors and refrigerator liners, with upgraded r-HIPS meeting EU food contact regulations. All four PRIMUS Demo cases have shown industrial viability.
PRIMUS also promotes sustainable plastic value chains by integrating social sciences and cross-sector collaboration. Stakeholder analysis focused on consumer perspectives, with surveys conducted in four countries. Initial engagement tools, including communication strategies, have been developed.

PRIMUS overview