Skip to main content
Go to the home page of the European Commission (opens in new window)
English en
CORDIS - EU research results
CORDIS

UPSCALING OF INNOVATIVE PROCESSES FOR THE RECYCLING OF PET FROM COMPLEX WASTES: A CASE STUDY INVOLVING MECHANICAL AND ENZYMATIC SORTING APPLIED TO TYRES, TEXTILES AND HOSES

Project description

Enzymatic recycling process makes PET more circular from complex wastes

The ubiquitous nature of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) means it is a suitable candidate for more efficient recycling methods, which would significantly reduce complex waste as well as emissions. To achieve this, the EU-funded WHITECYCLE project plans to introduce a twofold process that will allow the conversion of PET waste into high-added-value products. First, it will design technologies to increase complex waste stream PET content to 80 % and then establish a recycling method based on enzymes for the extraction of PET monomers in a sustainable manner, from all kinds of waste streams. The monomers will then be repolymerised and recycled. The innovative process will be demonstrated in a series of real cases in preparation for market uptake for high added value applications (tires, lay-flat hoses and multimaterial textiles).

Objective

PET is widely used in plastics and textiles leading to over 20 Mt/y of complex waste worldwide for which no closed-loop recycling is viable today. Most complex waste is landfilled or incinerated. There is an urgent need to develop a circular solution to convert complex PET wastes from plastics and textiles back into high-added value products.

WHITECYCLE unites 3 brand-owners, 1 PET converter, 2 waste managers, 1 digital deeptech for smart sorting, the world leading enzymatic recycling SME, 1 LCA company, 3 UNIs/RTOs, 1 cluster and 1 management firm. They aim to demonstrate two new processes combining strong scientific and industrial know-how: (i) innovative identification, sorting and separation technologies that will dramatically increase the PET content of complex waste streams to 80%, and (ii) a disruptive enzymatic recycling process that is expected to yield pure PET monomers sustainably even for impure waste streams. PET monomers obtained will be repolymerised and recycled. Thus, 2 t of waste will be used to demonstrate 3 highly technical PET-containing pilot series: 100 tyres, 1,500 m of lay-flat hoses and 400m2 of multicomponent fabric that will be coated and used to manufacture 4 lines of technical garments. Process design kits, LCA and production cost estimates will be provided to PET manufacturers and waste management companies for rapid deployment and assure social acceptance. First projections show that WHITECYCLE’s recycled PET will be competitive with virgin PET.

The project will conduct a full circle loop from real complex waste feedstock to representative product of the 3 use-cases at TRL 5. Then, a strong upscale study will allow the process steps to reach TRL 6 to 8. By 2030, WHITECYCLE will enable the annual recycling of more than 2 Mt of PET, which corresponds to the amount of additional recycled PET needed to meet the EU’s 2030 targets. This will reduce emissions by around 2.06 Mt CO2eq and avoid the landfilling of more than 1.8 Mt of PET.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

Keywords

Programme(s)

Topic(s)

Funding Scheme

HORIZON-IA - HORIZON Innovation Actions

See all projects funded under this funding scheme

Call for proposal

(opens in new window) HORIZON-CL6-2021-CIRCBIO-01

See all projects funded under this call

Coordinator

MANUFACTURE FRANCAISE DES PNEUMATIQUES MICHELIN
Net EU contribution
€ 1 824 753,00
Address
PLACE DES CARMES DECHAUX
63000 CLERMONT-FERRAND
France
Region
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Auvergne Puy-de-Dôme
Activity type
Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments)
Links
Total cost
€ 2 800 540,00

Participants (17)

Partners (1)