PRecycling aims to develop an easy-to-use methodology for sampling and analysis procedures of recyclates. The outcome will be the establishment of a methodology for recyclate definition, promoting the circularity and safety of plastic materials throughout polymer recycling based on the degradation degree, production and verification of recyclate's quality, smart traceability solutions and digital information management. The aim is to show that ‘waste to product’ transformation is scalable, replicable, traceable, potentially and commercially viable and, most importantly, safe to use. The production of new safe products from recycled materials for home appliances, toys for children and textiles, will form part of a community awareness and a pilot demonstration initiative, showing that high quality, unique materials made from recyclates can find new use, both within the same and new supply chains. These outputs will have practical use and therefore commercial and industrial interest, apart from the significant societal impact. The challenge of changing the ‘waste problem=cost’ for the end-of-life disposer to a ‘re-born product=value’, which is fully recycled and safe, preserving the embedded value as it moves through the whole process, will be faced by the proposed methodology. The anticipated impact can be categorized into three distinct dimensions: scientific, economic and technological, and societal and environmental. The route to achieving a scientific impact involves advancing innovative approaches and techniques for polymer and recyclate recycling, upcycling, track-and-trace systems, and the sampling and analysis of recyclates, the creation of effective verification methods for recycled content in products, extending to the establishment of a widely accepted EU definition of recyclate. The economic and technological impact is expected to materialize through the advancement of improved recycling and reuse processes, the utilization of secondary raw materials, expanded services to the polymer processing industry, sustainable-by-design technologies, digital tracing tools, the implementation of product Digital Twins, the development of the "PRecycling Plastic Recyclates Handbook," and the contribution to the EU plastic industry by recording recyclate volumes on the MORE platform. Anticipated societal and environmental impact includes a decrease in the consumption of natural resources, a reduction in CO2 emissions, enhanced knowledge regarding safety and environmental assessments of PWS, safeguarding human health and the environment from harmful and toxic chemicals, the generation of new employment opportunities, strong environmental awareness, the establishment of living labs involving parents and children, and fostering societal engagement through regional collaborations.
