In this context, AIMPLAS, the Technological Institute of Plastics, is carrying out the CIRCULAR ECONOMY-3 project, financed by IVACE and whose objective is to improve the environmental sustainability of Valencian companies in the plastics sector.
The project has involved research in four main areas: Firstly, it has addressed the separation of layers of multilayer plastic waste for recycling using solvents, which has allowed for a recovery rate of over 90% and the production of high-purity recycled materials.
Furthermore, the elimination of odors in recycled materials has been investigated using different methods during washing, as well as with the use of oxidizing agents such as those commonly used in wastewater treatment, complemented with ultraviolet light and decontaminating substances.
The project has also explored the anaerobic biodegradation of plastic waste. This treatment, which uses microorganisms to produce biogas, can then be used to generate products of interest to industry or as an energy source.
Finally, chemical valorization through thermal cracking has been analyzed as a complement to the mechanical recycling of plastic waste. Specifically, pyrolysis processes have been investigated, which allow for the optimization of the recovery of substances and materials that can then be reintroduced into the production process. Furthermore, it is a process with a zero energy balance, since the reactor can be heated and maintained using the gases produced during the process itself.
During the Circular Economy-3 project, various types of plastic waste, both mixed and unmixed, were used to optimize the resulting products. Furthermore, the operating conditions were validated as technically and economically viable, making the process transferable to industry.
In fact, the research results will be scaled up and validated in the collaborating companies and subsequently disseminated and transferred to companies in the plastics sector of the Valencian Community free of charge and openly for their introduction into the market, which will allow the competitiveness of the sector to increase, leading to economic, social and environmental growth.
The project is funded by the Valencian Regional Government's Ministry of Sustainable Economy, Productive Sectors, Trade and Labor through IVACE grants, with co-financing from the EU's ERDF funds, within the ERDF Operational Programme of the Valencian Community 2014-2020. These grants are aimed at technology centres in the Valencian Community for the development of non-economic R&D projects carried out in cooperation with companies for the 2019 financial year.
