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Circular Economy in the Rubber and Plastics Industry

The plastics and rubber industry's biggest area of activity is the Circular Economy.

Plastics recycling demonstration at K Trade Fair

Circular Economy: Definition and Basic Principles

What is the Circular Economy?

Basic principles and functioning of the Circular Economy

CO2 savings of up to

are possible through the recycling of plastics compared to the production of new plastics.

Source: SKZ

Why is the Circular Economy so important?

EU Circular Economy Action Plan

What is the EU Circular Economy Action Plan?

Image: Graphic of the EU Circular Economy Action Plan; Copyright: European Parliament Research Service

Source: European Parliament Research Service

Main objectives and measures of the EU Circular Economy Action Plan

Significance for the plastics and rubber industry

Circular Economy Newsticker

News about reusable systems, recyclates, bioplastics, eco-design & more

Dow expands Sustainable Footwear Materials Portfolio
Dow has introduced a suite of low-carbon material solutions designed to assist the footwear industry in producing more sustainable products without compromising performance. This expanded portfolio includes bio-circular materials, reversible cross-linking resins, post-consumer recycled resins, and polyolefin elastomers suitable for artificial leather applications.
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Lidl and Kaufland are Leading the Way: Shopping Baskets Made from Recycled Material
They look familiar, but they've got something special: the new shopping baskets from Lidl and Kaufland are made from recycled plastic. This turns waste into a high-quality product that conserves resources and reduces CO₂ emissions. With this step, the Schwarz Group is setting an example for sustainable retail.
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Advancing Running Shoe Sustainability with Biopolymers
Mount to Coast, a leader in ultrarunning footwear, has partnered with BASF to introduce CircleCELL™, an innovative running shoe midsole. The midsole, made from BASF’s ecoflex® BMB, blends sustainability with high performance, offering enhanced durability and energy return. This collaboration marks a significant step toward eco-friendly advancements in sports footwear.
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Reusable Transport Box: Plastics for Modern Logistics
Disposable packaging still dominates many logistics processes – often at the expense of efficiency and sustainability. A new reusable transport box aims to close this gap by conserving resources, saving costs and being flexible in use. The solution was developed by Fraunhofer LBF.
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Closed loop recycling for more sustainability in the textile industry
Everyone is talking about recycling, and yet there are sectors where it is only used to a very limited extent - for example in the textile and clothing industry. Fristdas has managed to create a closed loop recycling system for its clothing. In this interview, Lena Bay Højland explains how this affects the product range and what Fristads' vision is for further development.
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Low-Carbon Plastics Production: Infinium and Borealis Partner up
This collaboration aims to reduce harmful emissions and enhance circularity in the plastics industry by offering environmentally friendly alternatives for consumer goods, packaging, and medical devices.
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Neste and Mitsubishi Corporation Form Strategic Partnership
Neste Corporation and Mitsubishi Corporation (MC) have announced a strategic collaboration to develop value chains for renewable chemicals and plastics. This initiative focuses on supporting Japanese brands across various industries, including food and beverage, apparel, and consumer electronics, to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and reliance on fossil resources.
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Digital Twin for Resource Management
The circular economy presents an increasingly complex challenge for companies. Sustainability is no longer just a compliance issue but a crucial success factor. In this context, Interzero offers a solution: the Materialkonto (‘material account’). This provides companies with a digital twin of their resource and circular management.
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Advancing Circular Economy in the GCC Region
Recycling Services LLC, a prominent plastic recycler in Oman and Saudi Arabia, has joined forces with POLYSTAR to bolster the circular economy in the GCC region. This partnership, initiated with the acquisition of POLYSTAR's Repro-Flex 120 machine, aims to transform plastic waste into reusable materials, fostering sustainability and economic diversification.
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Stadium seats for the Olympic Games made from plastic waste
For Marius Hamelot, the 2024 Summer Olympics in France will provide a glimpse into his vision of turning trash into treasure. An architect and entrepreneur, the 29-year-old Hamelot has been working for several years to transform waste plastic collected in local Parisian neighborhoods into high-quality, durable products.
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Closing the loop: turning old tires into new car parts
In an ambitious move towards sustainability, Covestro, Neste, and Borealis have joined forces to revolutionize the recycling of discarded tires into high-quality automotive parts. This collaboration marks a significant step in driving circularity within the plastics and automotive industries.
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Bioplastics Made of Olive Pits
Biolive, a pioneering biotechnology company, has launched a new biopolymer production facility in Istanbul, Türkiye, capable of producing 9,600 tons annually. Using olive pits as raw material, this innovative process aims to replace fossil-based plastics, offering a sustainable solution for the plastics industry.
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Sustainability thanks to the circular economy
How does the circular economy work? Focus on sustainable practices and environmental benefits.
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Pioneering sustainable solutions in the cosmetic industry
TotalEnergies Corbion and Sulapac have joined forces to advance sustainable practices in the cosmetics sector, emphasizing the integration of recycled and biodegradable materials into product packaging, fostering a more eco-responsible industry.
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Renewable plastic for workboat hulls
Aquaculture takes a sustainable leap forward with the unveiling of a groundbreaking workboat hull constructed from renewable plastic. Borealis and AKVA group will introduce this innovation in Mo i Rana, Norway, in Spring 2024, marking a significant milestone for circularity in marine technology.
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The rediscovery of plastics in the textile industry
The textile industry is in the midst of a green transformation, with sustainability and recycling taking centre stage. This change is being driven by a growing awareness of the environmental impact of textile production and consumption. Plastics, particularly synthetic fibres such as polyester and nylon, are ubiquitous in the industry due to their versatility and cost-effectiveness.
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Borealis to acquire Integra Plastics AD, an advanced mechanical recycling player based in Bulgaria
Borealis announces the signing of an agreement to acquire a 100 % stake in Integra Plastics AD, an advanced mechanical recycling player based in Bulgaria. The investment will strengthen Borealis’ advanced mechanical recycling portfolio.
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Digital marketplace as a driver for the Circular Economy
The forthcoming EU packaging regulation is casting its shadow: minimum quotas for recyclates are putting the plastics industry under pressure. Cirplus presents a digital platform that not only makes the recyclate market transparent, but also enables real-time coordination between the players.
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Repsol strengthens its alliance with Pontegadea through a 618 MW renewable portfolio
Repsol has formed a new alliance with Pontegadea, incorporating them as a partner with a 49% stake in a portfolio of renewable assets valued at €740 million. This partnership strengthens Repsol's strategy of bringing in investors to accelerate their renewable energy goals, which include reaching 6,000 MW of installed generation by 2025 and 20,000 MW by 2030.
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Circular Polymers by Ascend and ReDefyne experts highlight expanded options for post-consumer recycled nylons, PET and PP
Experts from Ascend, a leader in recycling post-consumer carpet, and ReDefyne highlight new opportunities for recycled nylon, PET and PP. Their proprietary process allows them to convert end-of-life carpet into feedstocks for materials used in various finished goods, including automobiles and household appliances.
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Borealis expands its mechanically recycled plastic compounding capacity with closing the acquisition of Rialti S.p.A.
Borealis has finalized the agreement to acquire Rialti S.p.A., an Italian polypropylene (PP) compounder for recyclates. With the acquisition, Borealis expands its portfolio of PP compounds based on mechanical recyclates by 50,000 tons per year and is committed to accelerating the transition to a circular economy in the spirit of EverMinds™.
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Play-Tec® PCR awarded with "Blue Angel"
The company Röchling SE & Co. KG offers its Play-Tec® PCR recycled plastic, a construction material for the sustainable design of long-lasting playgrounds. This has now been awarded the Blue Angel eco-label in the category "Environmentally friendly recycled plastics" (DE-ZU 30a).
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Circular Economy in the canteen: Start-up develops reusable containers for the catering industry
We all know the image: urban rubbish bins overflowing with disposable packaging. The Corona pandemic has made this problem more visible. The start-up MealGood has made it its mission to counter the throwaway mentality by developing bio-based reusable containers for the catering industry.
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BASF celebrates 25th birthday of ecoflex®, the world's first PBAT biopolymer
BASF SE celebrates the 25th anniversary of ecoflex®, the world's first PBAT biopolymer. Innovative biopolymers based on ecoflex® have been helping to solve numerous challenges in the plastics market since it came on the market. ecoflex® has also created new recycling opportunities for plastics and enables organic recycling.
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BASF publishes Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study on polyamides from chemically recycled or renewable raw materials in mozzarella packaging
BASF has published a life cycle assessment study on the environmental impact of mozzarella packaging that examines different sustainable raw materials for food-grade plastics. Flexible multilayer packaging with recycled or renewable raw materials has a significantly lower environmental impact compared to packaging made from fossil raw materials.
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News about recycling processes, systems, products & more

Recycling and reusing ABS plastics in-house
Recycling on your own doorstep sounds almost too good to be true. But it is possible, as the Hansgrohe Group in Offenburg shows. The special highlight is that Hansgrohe, in partnership with ImpulsTec GmbH, has succeeded in recycling galvanized plastics. This means that decoated ABS plastics can be recycled directly in the company.
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Tyre Recycling: Keeping Valuable Raw Materials in the Loop
Around 13.5 million tonnes of waste tyres are generated worldwide every year. This number is steadily increasing with the growing production and use of vehicles. While a significant portion of these tyres is already recycled or reused, there are also challenges such as current regulations. Nevertheless, tyre recycling remains an essential component of a circular economy.
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UBQ is literally turning trash into treasure
Using its patented process, UBQ takes everyday garbage, strips out any abrasive metals, glass or minerals, and converts it into thermoplastic resins that be molded or extruded into a vast range of durable products. Such garbage is everywhere, hence the company’s name of UBQ, which stands for ubiquitous. It’s a global problem and requires a global perspective.
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Recycling solutions for a sustainable future
WILDPLASTIC® has set itself the goal of ridding the world of “wild” plastic waste and offering innovative recycling solutions. The Germany-based company differentiates its products through the unique use of plastic that is recovered from the environment to be recycled and reused as granulate.
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Sustainable PET Film Recycling Solutions
Leonhard Kurz will be presenting new sustainable recycling solutions for PET film at drupa 2024. In a video interview, Markus Hoffmann, Member of the Board at Leonhard Kurz, explains how the company takes back and reuses used PET film to promote the Circular Economy. The DM Maxliner 3D machine, which impresses with its efficiency and versatility, is also presented.
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NCC Enhances Circularity in Aerospace Manufacturing
The National Composites Centre (NCC), in collaboration with Munich-based Cevotec, showcases a sustainable solution for aerospace manufacturing waste, aiming to reclaim up to 80% of dry fibre material. This proof-of-concept could revolutionize waste management practices by utilizing innovative Fibre Patch Placement technology.
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Partnership in PET recycling drive sustainability forward
The world of plastic recycling has witnessed an outstanding alliance between two important players in the recycling industry: GANESHA ECOPET Co., a division of the largest Indian PET recyclers – GANESHA Group –, and SOREMA, the division of Previero Srl specialized in the construction of plastic recycling plants.
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Gasification of plastic waste at low temperatures
The specific requirements and high purity of plastic waste from life science research laboratories make recycling it a particular challenge. Re:Lab AB is tackling this problem with a chemical recycling process based on low-temperature conversion, which is a special form of gasification.
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World's First PET Biorecycling Plant
In a significant advancement for sustainable materials management, CARBIOS has teamed up with De Smet Engineers & Contractors (DSEC), renowned for its Engineering, Procurement, and Construction services in the biotech and agro-processing sectors. This collaboration aims to launch the world's first PET biorecycling plant in Longlaville, France, set to be operational by 2025.
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BASF and Inditex promote sustainable fashion with loopamid®
The textile industry is facing major changes in sustainability, led by BASF and Inditex through the launch of loopamid®, a new technology for textile-to-textile recycling. This initiative represents a significant step towards a Circular Economy by offering a sustainable solution for the reuse of polyamide 6 (PA6), also known as nylon 6, from textile waste.
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Boosting PET recycling with higher standards for laboratory experiments
In a study, Gert Weber, Uwe Bornscheuer and Alain Marty have identified standards for laboratory experiments with enzymes for PET recycling. It emphasizes difficulties in upscaling and highlights the promising enzyme LCC-ICCG, which converts 98% of PET in 24 hours, is economically more efficient and proposes new standards for laboratory research on PET recycling.
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Coperion Recycling Innovation Center is Up and Running
Coperion has opened its Recycling Innovation Center, providing a high-tech test facility for comprehensive testing of plastics recycling processes. The center complements Herbold Meckesheim's technical center and enables customers to simulate the entire recycling process and test technologies before making an investment.
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From chaos to creation: How composites transform unsorted plastic waste into useful products
Geoff Germon has not only recognized the problem of plastic waste in Fiji, but also wants to help the locals tackle this problem and build a sustainable business at the same time. His approach starts with a simple plastic pole.
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From snack bag to cooling technology: The rebirth of aluminum-plastic laminates
Thanks to aluminum-plastic laminates, our favorite snacks stay as crisp as we love them. But what if the shiny insides of snack bags hold much greater potential – one that goes far beyond accompanying a movie night? Passive cooling technology could benefit from upcycling these chip bags, says a research team from the University of Bayreuth.
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Start-up recycles plastic lab waste into new test tubes and petri dishes
LabCycle, co-founded by a University of Bath graduate, opens the UK's first pilot plant for recycling plastic lab waste into new lab consumables and aims to scale the technology for healthcare and research labs. Their process turns plastic waste into high-grade pellets, reducing energy and water use and promoting recycling in a circular economy approach.
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Chemical recycling: the supreme discipline for the Circular Economy in the plastics industry?
Almost 90 % of all plastic packaging today still consists of virgin material. If we want to change this, we have to focus on chemical recycling in addition to mechanical recycling. According to the WWF study "Verpackungswende jetzt", a system change could save more than 20 million tonnes of new plastic by 2040. SÜDPACK is therefore investing in innovative chemical recycling technology.
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Recycling programme for engineering plastics
Wherever there is movement in manufacturing, the plastic plain bearings and energy guiding chains from igus can be used. Even in packaging machines, e-chains and plain bearings made of high-performance polymers ensure movement. The products are durable but at some point they also have to be disposed of. igus has set up its own recycling programme for this purpose.
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"Considerably more fossil oil would be consumed without mass balance"
"By utilising our technology, we can produce a pyrolysis oil from strongly mixed plastic waste that also contains polymers such as PVC, PET, ABS and many others. We process the plastic waste the way it arrives from a waste sorting plant or from partners in industry."
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"Chemical recycling has the potential to close the existing gap in circular economy"
"Chemical recycling is complementary to mechanical recycling and therefore of high priority for OMV – it is an important cornerstone of our Strategy 2030. It helps us to meet the growing demand for recycled polyolefins. Back in 2009 we developed a laboratory scale process that has since been patented."
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Making the impossible possible: Recycling multilayer packaging
Was multilayer packaging the Achilles' heel of the recycling industry? Not anymore, according to Krones and their project partners BASF, Südpack, and Tomra. Together, they're unveiling a solution that accomplishes what was once deemed impossible. At the heart of this innovation is a new adhesive that enables effective material separation during the recycling process.
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Recycled PET for India's first 100 % rPET beverage bottle produced by Srichakra Polyplast on Starlinger equipment
Coca-Cola India has launched the first 100% recycled PET water bottle in India, manufactured by Srichakra Polyplast on a Starlinger PET bottle-to-bottle recycling line. The launch followed approval from the Food Safety Authority of India, and Coca-Cola plans to further expand this sustainable packaging solution.
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HDPE plastics from post-consumer flows
Recycling service provider Interzero developed a patented process to enhance the reuse of HDPE plastics, allowing the creation of blow-molded products from 100% post-consumer lightweight packaging material. The process uses a chemical modifier to control the recycled material's viscosity, making it suitable for blow-molding and eliminating the need for re-sorting and additional primary plastic.
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News about wind power, solar energy, hydrogen & more

Recycling photovoltaic modules
"Don't lose it, reuse it!" is not just the exclamation of a puppy from a well-known animated children's series when he creates new objects from supposed garbage. Rather, it shows how important the topic of ‘recycling’ has become in general.
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Covestro inaugurates new production line and launches new Desmopan®UP TPU series for Paint Protection Film in the automotive and wind sector
Covestro has started up a new production line in Taiwan to to produce high performance TPU suited for Paint Protection Film (PPF) grades. The new TPU-based PPF solutions will be offered under the brand name Desmopan®UP.
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Renewable energies: Bringing wind power forward with PU resins
At Covestro's Wind Technology Center, research is being conducted into making wind technology more efficient. To do this, a close look is taken at wind turbines – where are opportunities to use special materials that drive renewable energy? The big goal behind it: Climate neutrality and a circular economy.
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Luminescent solar collectors: Silicone makes power generation more flexible and colourful
Plastics contribute to climate protection. As fibre-reinforced plastics for wind turbines or films for solar cells, they already play an important role in power generation from renewable energies. But the conventional solutions are not equally suitable for every area of application. This is where a new type of material comes into play that was developed at Saarland University.
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Solar-powered system converts plastic and greenhouse gases into sustainable fuels
Researchers at the University of Cambridge have developed a system that can convert plastic waste and greenhouse gases into sustainable fuels and other valuable products – using energy from the sun alone. In the system, two waste streams are simultaneously converted into two chemical products.
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News about climate protection law, decarbonization, lightweight construction & more

Falling EU Competitiveness Threatens Circular Plastics Transition
New data from Plastics Europe reveals a concerning trend: European plastics manufacturing has faced a steep decline, with total production dropping by 8.3% in 2023. For the first time, mechanically recycled plastics have also seen a 7.8% reduction. These challenges jeopardize Europe’s leadership in sustainable plastics and its transition to a circular economy.
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Sustainable plastics production through bio-based carbon capture in Finland
In Espoo, Finland, VTT (Technological Research Institute Finland) and LUT University, in cooperation with industrial partners, have opened a pilot plant that converts carbon dioxide into high-quality plastic raw materials in an innovative way.
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Opportunities and limitations of recyclates in medical technology
One of the European Union's declared goals is sustainable development by 2030 - a development that does not stop at the medical technology industry. Gradical GmbH advises medical technology companies on the choice of materials for their applications.
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One year to go until K 2025: trends that move the industry
In a year's time, it will be that time again: K 2025 will open its doors and bring the global plastics and rubber industry together in Düsseldorf. From October 8 to 15, 2025, K will once again be the place where innovations are presented, new trends are discussed, and contacts are forged. The industry is already looking ahead to what will be on the agenda in October 2025.
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Sustainable Construction: Transparent Material to Save Energy
How will we build in the future? Sustainability, energy efficiency and comfort are key requirements that modern materials must fulfil. Conventional building materials such as glass are reaching their limits. This is where a new polymer-based material comes in, intelligently combining natural lighting and heat regulation to reduce energy consumption.
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Covestro and Alibaba Cloud for Supply Chain Transparency
Driven by increasing consumer expectations and regulatory requirements, the need to measure the use of sustainable materials and their associated carbon footprints has become essential. Covestro and Alibaba Cloud have teamed up to develop solutions that enhance supply chain transparency, focusing on sustainable plastics and carbon accounting through advanced digital technologies.
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Global Impact Coalition: Net-zero Chemical Industry
Charlie Tan has his work cut out for him. The 30-something, London-born Brit/Malay last November became CEO of the newly reconstituted Global Impact Coalition (GIC). The GIC has the stated aim of transforming the global chemical industry to net-zero by 2050.
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System technology: energy efficiency in the plastics industry
The plastics industry faces the challenge of harmonising efficiency and sustainability without compromising on performance. With a unique portfolio of products and services, ONI-Wärmetrafo supports plastics processing companies in becoming more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly, which is of immense importance, especially in times of rising energy prices.
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Fluoroplastics in focus
The debate about fluoroplastics and their environmental impact is reaching new heights. While environmentalists are calling for a ban on PFAS (perfluorinated and polyfluorinated alkyl compounds), industry associations are warning of the far-reaching consequences for numerous areas of application. A look at the arguments and challenges.
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KORE Low Carbon EPS insulation using Neopor® BMB by BASF selected for major housing project of Braidwater
KORE Insulation has introduced an environmentally friendly EPS insulation with a reduced carbon footprint to be used in a major housing development in Ballyclare, Northern Ireland. The decision to use KORE's Low Carbon EPS was made by the Braidwater Group. KORE Low Carbon is made from Neopor® BMB by BASF.
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New EU packaging regulation: Voices from the industry
The current Packaging Directive has not been able to reduce the negative environmental impact of packaging. The European Parliament has therefore voted on new rules for packaging in the EU. At the end of November, the Parliament clearly adopted the proposal.
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Saving energy in plastics production: Polytives wins 2nd place in the Lothar Späth Award 2023
Polytives GmbH, a spin-off of the University of Jena in the field of plastics technology, was awarded second place in the Lothar Späth Award for its cooperation partnership with the university on 16.11.2023. The company, which emerged from Prof. Schacher's working group, develops innovative plastics solutions for energy optimisation in production.
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AIMPLAS participates in a European project to develop environmentally sustainable printed electronics
The REFORM project aims to develop sustainable electronic components using bio-derived materials to reduce the reliance on scarce metals. It addresses the environmental impact of e-waste by creating recyclable and eco-friendly printed electronics, involving various European partners, including AIMPLAS, to develop innovative recycling methods.
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What Does Circular Economy Mean for Companies?

Advantages of the Circular Economy for companies

Forecasted growth in the market for recycled plastics

Challenges and adjustments

Practical examples of the Circular Economy in the plastics and rubber industry

of consumers are willing to pay more for products made from recycled materials.

Source: PwC

Circular Economy and Digitalization

Digital Recycling Tool: CYCLOPS
An innovative tool called CYCLOPS – Circularity Optimisation for Plastics has set itself the task of closing the gap between the need for information and the supply of recycled materials. By providing comprehensive data and assessments, it helps companies to make more sustainable decisions and organise their production processes in a more environmentally friendly way.
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Digital reusable cup from Vytal and PepsiCo
Vytal and PepsiCo are taking reusable tableware to a new level in their cooperation. With individual IDs for each cup, which can be read using a QR code or RFID tag, efficiency at large events is increased enormously. The technology not only optimises the return of the cups, but also the entire recycling process, thus making an important contribution to the Circular Economy.
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AI in the Plastics Industry: Sustainability & Innovation
AI is revolutionising modern industry. Thanks to it, complex processes can be automated or efficiency increased. In the plastics industry, AI not only plays a decisive role in the optimisation of production processes and the development of new materials. It also enables more precise waste sorting and therefore better recycling – a benefit for the environment!
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Digital marketplace as a driver for the Circular Economy
The forthcoming EU packaging regulation is casting its shadow: minimum quotas for recyclates are putting the plastics industry under pressure. Cirplus presents a digital platform that not only makes the recyclate market transparent, but also enables real-time coordination between the players.
Read more
Digital compass to sustainability: lifecycleValueCalculator analyses economic and ecological potentials
Profitability and sustainability are not opposites – on the contrary! KraussMaffei's lifecycleValueCalculator proves it: the digital tool calculates the current status of plastics processors' products and shows them their individual potential for improvement. This enables them to increase their production efficiency and achieve their ecological goals at the same time.
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Reifenhäuser relies on new "Circular Plastics Traceability" Guideline by using digital product passports from R-Cycle
The Reifenhäuser Group uses R-Cycle, a digital product passport for plastics based on GS1 standards, to enable its customers to trace products. This facilitates data management in the manufacturing process and promotes the recycling of plastic packaging.
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Circular Valley Convention 2025

Discover the future of the circular economy at the Circular Valley Convention, premiering on March 12 and 13, 2025, at the Areal Böhler in Düsseldorf.

Logo der Circular Valley Convention in Düsseldorf 2025

The Circular Valley Convention will take place for the first time in Düsseldorf on 12 and 13 March 2025.

Circular Economy starts at K!

At K 2025 you will find everything to do with the Circular Economy ...

The countdown to K 2025 is on!

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Hot Topics of K 2025

The Power of Plastics! Green – Smart – Responsible

Shaping the Circular Economy

Embracing Digitalization

Caring about People

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