Plastics

Polymer chemists at ETH Zurich have discovered a surprising way to virtually fully break down PMMA plastic – commonly known as Plexiglas – into its monomer building blocks. The process remains unaffected by the presence of additives.

The Croatian plant of EcoCortec, a European subsidiary of Cortec Corporation, has entered a recycling partnership with the Jakob Schober GmbH (Germany) in 2024. This partnership resulted in launching the VpCI-126 HP UV Shrink Film PCR.

World PET Recycling, part of the Logoplaste Group, is a recycler of PET from Portugal. Annually, World PET produces around 12,000 tons of food-grade recycled PET (rPET).

Aimplas has developed a digital totem that simulates the digital passport for plastic products, which will be mandatory for marketing products in the European Union. Companies should start implementing it from 2025 to adapt to its likely entry into force the following year, although the exact date is not yet known.

Around 60,000 tonnes of technical thermoplastics (PA, PC, PBT, ABS, PC/PBT, PC/ABS, PBT/ASA, PP etc.) are produced annually at the Krefeld and Doberlug-Kirchhain sites on 18 production lines. These products …

Following 18 testing campaigns commissioned in 2024, RecyClass strengthened its Recyclability Evaluation Protocols and Design for Recycling Guidelines to address the impact of various packaging features on plastic recycling streams.

Researchers from Korea have discovered that adding water to ruthenium-based catalysts can dramatically enhance the catalytic conversion of polyolefins—the major contributor of plastic waste—into valuable fuels. Their analyses highlight the economic and environmental viability of this novel approach, which could help us deal with plastic pollution, while fostering a circular economy.

The winners of the seven awards will be revealed on 2 April at the Plastics Recycling Show Europe, where all the finalists will also be showcased.

The plastic value chain is hit by a strong recession caused by persisting issues such as increased imports of non-EU recycled plastics, reduced investments in domestic raw materials production and recycling, as well as a lack of demand for EU-virgin and recycled plastics.

European Bioplastics presented its 2024 edition of the market development update during the EBC24 in Berlin.

Bakcycle Recycling successfully produces high-quality granules from post-consumer LDPE packaging waste using Tomra’s sensor-based sorting technologies.