circPlast-mr

It is important for Austria to increase the mechanical recycling rate for plastic waste in order to reach the EU targets and to avoid payments for non-recycled packaging plastic waste. The project aims to improve knowledge and skills in the recycling process cycle to achieve policy target rates. There are four main specific objectives, including finding untapped potential for recycling plastics, implementing and testing process steps at laboratory/pilot scale, demonstrating eco-efficient “marketability” of increased recycled plastic volumes, and process scalability. The project aims to enable technical and economic/ecological optimization of the processes through the use of digital technologies and advanced sensor techniques. The main focus is on energy efficiency and the recycling of water and chemicals. The Energieinstitut is working on LCA-oriented process design and legal aspects.