Objective
This project was initiated to address the problem of waste generated in the manufacture of plastic packaging, particularly multimaterial films. For technical and in some cases legislative reasons it is not possible to re-use the material in the original or related processes, so much of this material is disposed of in landfill or incineration, representing a financial loss estimated at 25 million ECU's on a European basis, and also having a negative impact on the environment. EC and National legislation on waste disposal will make this route increasingly expensive or impossible in the future. SME's are particularly affected, lacking the R&D support to address the problem. The most cost effective and environmentally friendly way of dealing with process waste is to re-use the material in the same process or factory. This project will seek to develop innovative reprocessing routes such that this can be achieved. Although the problem of multimaterial plastic factory waste could be costing the industry in Europe up to 25 Million ECU's, recycling of these difficult materials has received little attention. The objectives of the project are: 1. To investigate optimum routes to the preprocessing of low density plastic factory waste such as films, without degradation, so that it can be handled by extrusion systems. 2. To process mixed materials, of varying degrees of complexity, by extrusion, to form granules of high quality polymer blends, with or without the use of compatibilisers. 3. To re-use the reprocessed polymer blends in original or related products. This will deliver to the partners novel ways of re-using factory scrap such that a minimum leaves the factory as waste, providing economic and environmental benefits. The project fully complies with the objectives of Area 1.2 in Framework IV of Industrial and Material Technologies Programme.
Fields of science
Call for proposal
Data not availableFunding Scheme
CRS - Cooperative research contractsCoordinator
CH6 5EX Clwyd
United Kingdom