INTERVAL intends to launch innovative, low-cost products onto the market based on the premium recycled PE through a specific procedure for the collection and treatment of plastic. Initially, the company want to start with two products for which a clear market need in recycled polymers has been identified (“durable plastic covers for pallets” and “compostable plastics sacks for household waste collection”), extending this activity at a later date to other plastic markets.
Both markets present a clear attractiveness. Regarding the market 1, Plastic sacks for household waste collection, 136,000 million of sacks are sold per year (272 per EU citizen). Moreover, a rising demand for biodegradable/compostable sacks has been boosted with the introduction of the selective collection of organic waste in several European regions.
The market 2, Plastic covers for pallets, accounts for 150 million units per year solely in the cement and ceramics sector in the EU28. They are used in a wide range of products stocked in the open air for long periods of time including construction materials, chemical substances, industrial appliances, and packaging.
INTERVAL has worked in a Research for SME Instrument Phase 1 (ReDurComp-674067) with a view to evaluate the technical and economic feasibility.
Both product have shown a highly positive economic feasibility. Both the market assessment and the business plan have demonstrated a clear opportunity for the company. Concretely, the business of the two new products, which could be extended to the whole EU28, will initially be focused on Spain, Italy, The Netherlands, and France, and will highly increase the sales of the company in a 5-year period. Considering as reference data, the plan is to start with a progressive gathering of new customers reaching 60 clients (retailers for Product 1 (plastic sacks) and construction and ceramic companies for Product 2 (plastic covers)) by 2021.
Regarding the technical viability, some initital limitations have been observed in the compostability and resistance of the products. Therefore, INTERVAL will follow with the work in the improvement of the formutation of both products.
