As the world celebrates Global Recycling Day on 18 March, EU-funded projects managed by HaDEA are taking concrete steps towards a more circular economy and reducing waste. In line with the EU’s commitment to a sustainable future, eight innovative projects have been launched to tackle the challenges of recycling and waste management in various industries.
From pioneering new technologies for recycling plastics and fibreboards to developing sustainable coatings and materials, these projects are expanding the frontiers of what is possible in recycling and waste management. Meet the 8 projects that are revolutionising the way we think about waste and recycling. Discover how they are helping to create a more sustainable future.
- BATRAW aims to drive innovation in battery recycling by developing new technologies and methodologies to improve the recycling of battery parts. By researching and developing safer and more efficient recycling processes, the project aims to achieve up to 98% recycled battery parts and better management of recycled materials, contributing to a sustainable battery market and reducing the environmental impact of battery production and disposal.
- EcoReFibre aims to develop and demonstrate innovative, environmentally sound, and commercially viable recycling technologies for medium-density fibreboard waste. The project will validate and demonstrate these technologies in a real-world setting, providing a solution to the growing problem of fibreboard waste and promoting the creation of secondary materials from wood waste, with potential applications extending to other biobased industries.
- REDONDO aims to revolutionise the recyclability of cross-linked polyethylene (PEX), a widely used plastic material, by developing a new, reversibly cross-linked polyethylene (rPEX) that can be recycled. Using green additives such as nanolignins and nanocellulose, the project will create a recyclable version of PEX with improved properties, initially targeting pipes and photovoltaic cables, and paving the way for a more sustainable and environmentally friendly future for this popular material.
- REPurpose aims to create a new class of high-value, functional thermoplastic elastomers, known as REP polymers, by upcycling local post-consumer waste through a groundbreaking process. By incorporating new building blocks derived from biomass, waste, or recycled materials, these innovative REP polymers will offer unique features, including tuneable elastomeric properties, controllable degradation, and unprecedented indefinite recycling capabilities, outcompeting traditional fossil-based plastics and creating a more sustainable and circular plastics industry.
- PROPLANET aims to develop innovative, high-performance coating materials that meet the growing demand for environmentally friendly and safe products. By combining advanced modelling and computational tools with safety-and-sustainability-by-design principles, the project will create coatings for the textiles, food packaging, and glass sectors that ensure circular value chains, enhance safety, and reduce environmental impact.
- ABSolEU aims to break the recycling barrier for Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), a widely used impact resistant thermoplastic material, by developing innovative technology for the physical recycling of waste ABS. The project will provide a clean and safe recyclate, free of additives and contaminants, and introduce new analytical methods for safety assessment and quality assurance, paving the way for a more circular ABS value chain.
- PRecycling aims to develop a user friendly methodology for accurately measuring and reporting recycled content in products, addressing a key challenge outlined in the EU’s Plastics Strategy. The project will create a comprehensive system for sorting, sampling, tracing, and recycling plastic waste streams, including detection and separation of legacy additives, and introduce smart tracing through digital systems to ensure safety and quality of reused materials.
- INCREACE aims to boost the EU’s plastic recycling efforts by implementing innovative, interdisciplinary solutions across the entire plastic recycling value chain. The project seeks to increase the amount of recycled plastics used in EU products focusing on electrical and electronic equipment (EEE), building trust with stakeholders, manufacturers, and the public, and helping to achieve the EU’s ambitious targets on plastics and the circular economy.
Background
The above featured projects are funded under Horizon Europe, a research and innovation programme lasting until 2027. The programme facilitates collaboration and strengthens the impact of research and innovation in developing EU policies while tackling global challenges.
