The EU ReBioCycle project, which aims to expand mechanical, chemical and biological recycling technologies for biodegradable plastics, was officially launched on October 2 and 3 at University College Dublin, Ireland.
ReBioCycle consists of three centers located in Italy, Spain and the Netherlands.
The goal of the project is to demonstrate that PLA, PHA and composites can be efficiently recycled on a large scale.
ReBioCycle will adapt and improve the sorting technology to separate three types of bioplastics. The project will also propose a portfolio of bioplastics recycling technologies at relevant scales and demonstrate through data streams the effectiveness, economic viability and integration possibilities of the proposed technologies at relevant industrial scales. The project partners aim to demonstrate that biodegradable plastics are fully recyclable. Bioplastics such as polylactic acid are often thought to contaminate recycling streams, but tests have shown that polylactic acid can be sorted out from urban mixed plastic waste using standard near-infrared (NIR) equipment.
The partners of each center will be responsible for validating the industrial-grade specifications of the biopolymer brand owners. They will analyze the final quality of recycled materials in durable packaging and multi-purpose packaging.
The ultimate goal of the project is to prepare a position paper on the status of bioplastics recycling, contributing to several European action plans and strategies such as the Bioeconomy Strategy, the circular Economy Action Plan, and the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR).
The PPWR has set a deadline of 31 December 2025 for a report assessing the feasibility of setting targets for the use of biobased plastic raw materials in packaging, with mandatory recycling content targets factored in. In particular, the European Commission is considering a recycling content target of up to 50% through the use of bioplastics.
The ReBioCycle project has received €7.5 million in funding from a Circular Bio-based Joint Undertaking through Horizon Europe, the EU's research and innovation funding programme.