The POLREC project is a collaborative project between the 4 European clusters and a technological center. It focuses on sustainable development and recycling of high and low value polymers as a contribution to the objectives of the European Green Deal aiming at zero CO2 emissions in 2050 and to increase the European strategic autonomy on raw materials for polymer production.
During a project period of 3 years the consortium will explore how an intensified cluster and business network collaboration across boarder and across sectors can meet this challenge and exploit the international business opportunities related to this topic.
To handle this challenge, the POLREC partners have drawn up the mapping of European waste streams and Europeans plastic recyclers. This mapping is to be seen as a support tool of the POLREC Innovation Open Call, which can financially support SMEs with an ambition of decreasing the environmental impact of their products. Their practices must be switched from incineration and landfill of polymer waste towards polymer recycling – mechanical as well as chemical. To improve processing of recycled polymers, the open call will finance the implementation of improved moulds and processing aids to support SMEs in switching their practices.