A European project works to convert non-recyclable contaminated plastics into new resources

A European project aimed at increasing the recycling rate of plastic waste containing hazardous substances promises to change the way waste from the automotive, construction, electrical and electronics industries is disposed of at the end of its useful life
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Currently, these wastes are landfilled or incinerated without separation of hazardous materials
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The project, called NONTOX, is exploring technologies to use these waste streams to produce safe, high-quality secondary plastic materials
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These technologies include recycling processes and routes that optimize overall process economy through integration
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The project is implemented in the context of Europe's transition to a circular economy for plastics, as laid out in the EU Plastics Strategy adopted in 2018
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The project is coordinated by the VTT Technical Research Centre in Finland
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Other members of the multidisciplinary consortium include internationally renowned RTOs, universities, key industrial partners and recyclers, and product design experts
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The project partners are focusing on recycling plastic materials from waste electrical and electronic equipment, end-of-life vehicles, and construction and demolition waste, all of which contain harmful additives and undesired compounds such as flame retardants, stabilizers and filler materials
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This project provides important additional knowledge and experience on the pretreatment and sorting of plastic waste containing hazardous substances
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The main secondary plastic product targets are ABS, EPS, PS, HIPS, PE, PP, all of which are highly sought-after materials and together account for about half of EU plastics demand
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Landfilling or incinerating waste containing these polymers is not only inconsistent with circular principles, but is also a waste of resources that cannot be afforded by today's economy
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Two different technologies, Extruclean and CreaSolv, are currently being explored to remove hazardous materials from waste
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These technologies will be able to remove substances such as flame retardants from the plastic matrix without breaking the polymer chains
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The Extruclean process applies supercritical carbon dioxide (sc-CO2) to the extrusion stage of the recycling process; CreaSolv is a Fraunhofer patented technology based on selective extraction: a mechanical recycling process for plastics that, due to its special solubility, can Recycle very pure plastic
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In addition, the project is also investigating the thermochemical conversion of non-target plastics and side streams in the primary recycling process, with the aim of increasing system efficiency through integration and expanding the range of end products and applications
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